Farmworkers & Laborers

Job description

APPLE/PEAR Harvest: The Worker will hand harvest apples/pears this can be performed from a motorized platform and/or from the ground or a ladder. The Worker will attach harness, bucket or bag and picks low hanging fruit while standing on the ground and higher branches while standing on a ladder. The Worker will pick according to grade, color and size by grasping fruit with the hands and removing from the tree in a motion so as not to harm adjacent buds on the tree branches. The Worker will carry harness, bucket or bag of up to 60 lbs. and will place fruit into wooden bins, 4x4x3 which hold approximately 25 bushels of fruit. Care must be exercised at all times to prevent bruising of fruit or breaking of branches. The Worker may be required to examine harvested fruit in bins and sort out any fruit not meeting the grade, color and size specifications. The Worker must possess the ability to pick-up; handle a 10 ft. or 12 ft. orchard ladder weighing up to 40 pounds.

APRICOT/NECTARINE and PEACH Harvest: Worker will hand harvest apricots, nectarines and peaches. Worker will attach harness, bucket or bag and pick low hanging fruit while standing on a ladder. Worker will pick according to grade, color and size by grasping fruit with the hands and removing from the tree in motion so as not to harm adjacent buds on the tree branches. Worker will carry harness, bucket or bag of up to 22lbs. and will place fruit into bins which hold approximately 450 pounds of fruit. Care must be exercised at all times to prevent bruising of fruit or breaking of branches.

NURSERY TREE DUTIES - Nursery tree training including, but not limited to, bamboo staking, trimming, planting, fall tree digging, tying trees to stakes, hoeing, weed removal, leaf stripping and other pertinent tasks associated with standard nursery tree growing and farming.

THINNING: Thinning is a manual process used to control the size and quality of grown fruit. The Worker must possess the ability to pick up, handle a 10 ft. or 12 ft. orchard ladder weighing 40 pounds. Furthermore, the Worker must be able to use scissor like clippers. This process requires the Worker to remove, in some cases not limited to the smallest fruit blossom, bud and/or identifiable fruit from within a cluster of other fruits. The Worker 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 performed from a motorized platform and/or from the ground or a ladder.

Special Requirements

This is a job for: pruning, thinning, training and harvesting apples, apricots, nectarines, peaches and pears by the worker.

There are general conditions of employment, general job specifications and individual requirements that are specific to each job duty:

GENERAL CONDITIONS: Field work begins at assigned time shortly after daylight. Work may be performed during light rain and in high humidity and in freezing or high heat temperatures. The worker may be required to work in the orchard when trees are wet with dew/rain and should have suitable clothing for variable weather conditions. Workers may lift or load up to 60lbs.