Equipment Operator

Job description

GENERAL LABOR: Worker will complete hand tasks to establish and maintain orchard areas, including shoveling, picking up roots, rocks and garbage around the orchard. Worker will use a variety of farm provided tools to complete hand tasks including a shovel, hammer, stapler, posthole digger and plumbing tools. Worker will cut down trees, carry and stack wood cut with chainsaw. Worker may be required to pick up trimmed/cut branches and place in center of orchard rows. The safe and careful use of a chainsaw is necessary, Employer will provide additional training. Worker will inform managers of crop progress, pests, weeds, etc. of fields and orchards. Worker will be required to walk, bend, kneel, stoop and lift for long periods of time. Worker will be required to lift up to 65 pounds.

Thinning: Thinning is a manual process used to control the size and quality of grown fruit. Worker must possess ability to pick up and handle a 16 foot orchard ladder weighing 40 pounds. Worker will remove the smallest fruit blossom, bud and/or identifiable fruit from within a cluster of other fruits. Workers will be expected to be able to identify and remove fruit that is misshapen, damaged and/or with other quality problems as directed by supervisors. Thinning may be done from the ground or a ladder up to 16 feet in height or from a motorized platform.

Pruning: Pruning numerous varieties of apple trees according to established company procedures based on the difference in the treatment of different varieties. Worker will perform pruning on trees for long periods of time using a variety of pruning equipment including hand shears, hand loppers, hand saws, and 16-foot ladders. Pruning and thinning may be done from the ground or a ladder up to 16 feet in height or from a motorized platform. Workers may be required to selectively prune only trees of a certain size and color as instructed by supervisors.
Worker must possess or acquire pruning skills in order to identify and remove stubs or broken branches, downward-growing branches, branches which rub against each other, shaded interior branches, dead wood and shoots/suckers. Workers will both hand prune and machine prune.

Reggie Weeding/Hoeing: Worker will ride on mechanical weeding machine down rows of planted crops using a garden hoe or hand levers to remove weeds growing around and within the plants. Care must be exercised as to not dig up or harm the adjacent vegetable plants. Worker must be able to walk, bend, kneel, stoop, sit and stand for long periods of time.
Pay will be hourly.

Special Requirements

Job requires worker to complete tasks in Agriculture Equipment Operator.
Experience Requirement: 4 months verifiable commercial agriculture equipment operator experience required. Applicants must furnish job references from employers of the last 2 years establishing acceptable prior experience.
Drug testing not utilized as pre-employment tool. See work rule #8 for more information regarding post-employment drug testing.