General Farm Workers

Job description

*All packing and stacking duties will be performed in the field and on the farm

General Farm Workers to perform the following duties:

Commodities to harvest and pack: Strawberries, bell peppers and mini peppers

Strawberry Harvester (Ground/Harvest Pro Machine): This position works under close supervision of the harvest crew foreperson. This position safely and efficiently harvests strawberry crop either by ground or with the assistance of a Harvest Pro machine. This position may perform other general labor work (see Weeding job description)

Essential Job Duties:

Harvests fresh, juice and/or freezer depending on grower requests
Properly grades and sorts strawberries according to size and quality
Packages suitable fruit in required packaging container and box
Inspects strawberry fruit for signs of disease and insect manifestation
Discards inferior strawberries onto row floor
Manually plants, transplants, cultivates, weeds (see weeding job description), and thins crop
Reports all safety problems, incidents, and injuries to foreman immediately.
Complies with all Company Policies, including observing appropriate lunch and rest periods.

Qualifications:

Overtime Work as needed.
Able to keep up at a reasonable pace with the rest of the crew
Able to read safety signs
Able to perform work up to company standards

Physical Requirements:

The employee is constantly required to stand, walk, reach, use hands/fingers to handle or feel, hear and see.
The employee is constantly required to push, pull, lift and carry from 1 lb up to 25 lbs., with occasional lifting and carrying up to 50 lbs.
Occasional reaching above shoulder with frequent reaching below shoulder level.
The employee is in constant bending and twisting of the waist, with frequent squatting.

Working environment:

The employee is constantly required to work in outside atmospheric weather conditions, uneven ground, and noise, vibration, around hazards such as moving machine parts, equipment, wet rows, wind and dust.
The employee is occasionally required to work under cold temperatures just above freezing and heat.

Seasonal Cutter/Packer: Cut or pick product of the correct quality, size and weight for the correct packs. Pack or package by hand a wide variety of produce in the correct packs. This is a non-managerial position and works under the general supervision of the Harvest Foreperson.

Job Duties

Continual visual examination of product to determine if product is right for harvesting.
Use hands and arms to handle product.
Place commodity into appropriate packing box.
Place completed packed product onto moving equipment such as conveyors.
Mark cartons by using marking tools.
Examine and inspect containers, packaging material, and product to ensure that packing specifications are met.
Harvest product by hand, and/or using a harvest knife.
Continual bending to reach product.
Walk throughout shift on uneven ground and in leafy rows with debris.
Ensure that all food safety policies are followed.
Ensure that all safety procedures are followed to reduce the risk of any type of injury to either the employee or others.
Reports all safety problems, incidents, and injuries to Harvest Foreperson immediately.

Special Requirements

Three months experience in berry or vegetable harvest is required. Work is performed in open fields and may involve exposure to mud, dust, wind, heat, cold, and other natural elements. Temperatures can range from 30 degrees Fahrenheit to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the period of employment. Workers should come prepared with appropriate clothing and footwear for the environmental and working conditions described. No smoking, alcohol, firearms in the field or residential housing. Proficiency in English or Spanish is required for training and safety purposes. (i.e. Workers must listen to, understand and follow instructions of Employer supervisors and managers.)