Fruit And Vegetable Field Work, Harvesting & Packing

Job description

The worker will perform job duties as assigned by supervisor. They will vary from time to time depending on crop
growth, maturity, and weather. The field work, planting, genral nursery work season is temporary and will last from July to September.

In order to perform this kind of work, the worker must be able to work outside 6 to 8 hours a day in all kinds of weather including, but not limited to extreme cold and hot conditions, direct sunlight, and rain and have the required physical strength and endurance to perform the work rapidly and skillfully with their hands. Workers will perform prolonged walking, bending, stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, lifting, and carrying 0-75 lbs.

The worker will be given specific instructions as to how to properly perform the work specified in the Job Description and Requirements Section on the first day of work. Quality work must be performed and adhered to and no messy work will be permitted. If the worker works by the piece rate, he/she must make the federal minimum
salary. At the end of the first work week, the worker will be evaluated. If the worker does not perform the work as specified under the Job Descriptions and Requirements, he/she may be terminated.

The employer will provide the tools necessary to perform the described job duties without charge to the worker. The employer will charge the worker for reasonable costs related to the workers refusal or negligent failure to return the tools or due to such workers willful damage or destruction of the tools.

Field Work- The employee will perform various field work to include but not limited to the following: Prepare the fields for planting-this will consist of tilling the soil, putting down and taking off plastic ground cover, digging trenches, installing and repairing irrigation, sow seeds, planting, re-planting, cultivating, watering, weeding, pruning,
picking up trash, burning trash, apply chemicals and fertilizers, install or remove stakes, install wire, netting, or string, remove or clean plant debris or vines from ground or trellises, tie vines or plants on strings or trellises., record information about crops, and other miscellaneous work.

Stringing and Unstringing crop-the employee will take the plant, vine, or bush and place down stakes and tie string from stake to stake and then secure the vine or bush around the twine to help keep it off the ground. At the end of the harvesting season the workers will remove the stakes, twine, and plastic ground cover.

Planting -In order to perform this kind of work, the worker must be able to walk down the field row carrying seeds in containers or plant seedlings in trays. The worker then takes a seed(s) or a seedling(s) in each hand, bends down, and plants them in the premade holes in the ground cover and finishes planting the seed or seedling by covering the seed or roots of the seedlings with soil. If planting seeds in trays, the worker will fill a seeding machine with seeds, then they will take trays and fill them with potting soil, the trays are then passed hrough the seeding line, where the machine will make a hole and deposit the seed. The worker then makes sure that each tray has each hole filled with a seed. They cover the seeds with the potting soil and then place the trays on a trailer. The trays are then transferred to the green house where they are watered, monitored, and care for until they are ready to be transplanted in the field.

Special Requirements

The worker must be responsible and consistent on the job. The worker must be able to lift 0-75 lbs., do repetitive movements, extensive pushing and pulling, walking, frequent stooping continuously throughout the day, and work in all kinds of weather conditions.