Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop

Job description

Crops: Watermelons, Cantaloupes, Pumpkins

Workers will perform duties related to the harvesting, field packing, bulk loading, grading, sorting, handling, and packing of pumpkins and cantaloupes. Work will be performed in the field and, when necessary, inside packing shed or warehouse facilities.

Harvest activities require workers to repeatedly bend, stoop, kneel, squat, reach, lift, carry, and perform extensive groundwork throughout the workday. Workers must be physically able to perform prolonged walking, standing, bending, and lifting in varying field conditions.

Workers will harvest Watermelons pumpkins and cantaloupes according to size, shape, color, maturity, and quality standards as instructed by management or designated field leads. Workers may hand-harvest products and place them into field containers, bins, trailers, trucks, or designated packing areas.
Pumpkins and Watermelons may vary in weight from approximately 20 pounds to 90 pounds. Workers may form field loading lines where harvested pumpkins are lifted and passed from worker to worker until loaded into trailers, buses, bins, containers, or transport vehicles. Workers must possess the physical strength, endurance, and coordination necessary to perform repetitive lifting and handling activities safely and efficiently.

Packing shed is on the farm. Products may be field packed, bulk loaded or transported to packing shed facilities depending on crop conditions and operational needs. Workers may sort, grade, clean, remove damaged or defective products, repack products, stack containers, and prepare harvested commodities for shipment. Packing shed duties may include grading, sorting, labeling, repacking, palletizing, loading, unloading, stacking, sanitation, cleanup, operating a forklift, and general warehouse support activities.

Pre-harvest and field preparation activities may include staking, tying, transplanting, pruning, hoeing, windrowing, weed removal by hand or with a hoe, irrigation work, and general crop maintenance activities.
Workers may assist with operating, maintaining, repairing, and cleaning irrigation systems, farm vehicles, implements, tools, mechanical equipment, and general farm infrastructure as assigned.