Farmworker

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
peppers.
Plant, cultivate and harvest peppers. Use farm equipment to cut, pull, dig, thresh, clean, chop, bag, or bundle harvested crops. Load/unload harvested peppers or other materials manually or with mechanized equipment such as conveyors, or handtrucks. Use hand tools including, but not limited to: shovels, hoes and knives. Plant roots, seeds and bulbs. Spread plastic or other groundcovering. Clean plastic by hand from ground upon removal. Till soil. Weed and thin plants. Transplant plants by hand. Stake/tie plants, trellis/prune plants, and set poles and wires for vine plants. Pick, cut, lift, or pull crops. Tie peppers in bunches. Grade, size and field pack product. Take care to prevent damaging produce and plants.

Grade, size, and sort product according to color, shape, size, appearance, feel, and/or quality, in accordance with supervisor's instructions and employer standards. Inspect products for damage/defects and discard inferior products and foreign matter. Place product in bins/trays and other containers according to grade and mark grades on containers. Weigh products and record weight and/or grade. Handle product carefully to prevent damage. Operate equipment safely, with or without direction. Must follow quality control standards and production procedures. Clean/sanitize work station and equipment.

Work on production line to pack product by hand or with mechanized equipment, including but not limited to bagging machines, bin feeders, box machines, labeling machines, regular and high stacking forklifts. Pack/bunch/bundle product pursuant to supervisor instructions. Fill bins/trays and other containers with product, level bins, and prepare product for shipment to market or storage. Perform quality control on inbound/outbound loads. Follow quality control standards and production procedures. Handle product carefully to prevent damage. Lift, carry, and load/unload products or supplies. Palletize and stack boxes/containers. Move product to storage areas and/or loading areas to prepare for shipping. Keep material and product records accurately. Assist with regular maintenance on equipment. Clean/sanitize work station and equipment.

Must have sufficient hand and finger dexterity to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects. Must be able to differentiate colors, textures, and other attributes of product to distinguish varieties and identify defects.

Install/maintain irrigation systems and water lines. Move and install irrigation pipes and equipment. Dig and maintain ditches. Install and remove levee gates.

Apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other crop protectants. Apply fertilizers, plant growth chemicals, conditioners, and other plant related treatments at the correct times depending on plant type, growth, climate and crop conditions.

Workers must operate all equipment properly and in a manner that protects operator, others, the employers products and property. Failure to comply with safety requirements and operating instructions may result in disciplinary action up to and including immediate termination.

Mow, cut, and weed fields. Prepare and/or clear land for planting using mechanized or hand equipment to remove trash, rocks, or other debris or material that may interfere with planting or harvesting activities. Level land by moving dirt and other materials. Equipment may include tractors, dozers, planters, mowers, plows, sprayers, cultivators, power shears, chainsaws, bobcats, skid loaders, high lifts, and trucks or other vehicles. Perform ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, ground preparation, and other manual tasks. Bending, stooping and kneeling required. Use hand tools including but not limited to hoes, shovels, shears, clippers, loppers, and saws. Lift, carry, and load/unload products or supplies. Assist with farm building/field maintenance and repairs. Build/repair fences.

Must wear assigned personal protective equipment when required.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of 3 months of agricultural field work experience working on a vegetable farm handling both manual and mechanized tasks associated with production of peppers or other vegetables. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs.