Field Workers

Job description

Field Workers (Artichokes Harvest) will harvest artichokes and perform the following duties:

All work is performed in the field and on a farm:

Artichoke Harvester will walk, select artichokes for picking according to size, ripeness, quality standards and discard rotting and over-ripened artichokes, cut artichoke stem with a small knife, place artichoke in a bag that the worker carries on their back, carry the bag to the end of the row to be placed on a trailer or harvest machine. The Artichoke Harvester is responsible for cutting the stem according to company standards; responsible for meeting all quality, sanitation, and Food Safety standards for the company; will perform other duties related to field harvesting as required.

Artichoke Dumper will help harvest artichokes until packing begins in the field on the farm. Once packing begins, the Bag Dumper will take baskets from a trailer or the pickers back and transfers them to the harvest machine in the field on the farm. The worker will stack the baskets on top of each other until the trailer is empty or all pickers have returned to picking. The worker then begins to dump the full baskets of artichokes onto the conveyor belt of the harvest machine. After basket is empty the worker places basket on machine floor and stacks them so pickers can grab an empty basket. The worker will continue to dump until all baskets are empty. From time to time the worker will also keep machine tidy and pick up trash.

Artichoke Field Packer (in the field on the farm) will walk, select artichoke for picking according to size and ripeness, and discard rotting and over-ripened artichoke, cut stem with a small knife, place artichoke/lettuce in a box/carton that the worker carries, carry the box to the end of the row to be placed on a trailer or harvest machine, or, if there are enough pickers, packer will accommodate harvest machine and/or packaging materials in the field on the farm. When enough artichoke has been picked, packers will get on harvest machine, grab a box overhead, and select artichoke from conveyor belt; the specific size of artichoke/lettuce and type it will determines the amount of lettuce to be placed in a box. The packer will mark his/her number that identifies that he or she packed that box and the size of artichoke that are in the box with a crayon marker in the field on the farm. Packer will pack artichokes in carton boxes, plastic totes, and plastic bags, add rubber band tags, place stickers on product, and any other packs that the sales department requires in the field on the farm.

The Box Maker Artichoke will accommodate boxing materials from a trailer to box making area of the harvest machine. Boxing materials include various sized carton boxes, plastic totes, plastic bags, rubber bands, stickers, tags, and other materials dictated by sales department. Box maker will take the carton from its flat form and fold it so that artichoke can be packed in the box in the field on the farm. The boxes are then stickered with proper tracing information for food safety protocol. The boxes are then placed onto an overhead track and pushed down the track as worker continues making boxes and placing them on track. Boxes need to be made in a timely fashion so that packers on machine do not run out of boxes in the field on the farm. Box maker may pick up trash created by packing materials on and around the machine and field areas. When time permits the Box maker will also help keep harvest machine clean of debris, bad lettuce, and trash in the field on the farm.

See addendum C.

Special Requirements

3 months of agricultural experience in artichokes. Written verification of experience is required. Specific requirements include lifting up to 80-90 pounds frequently. Must be able to carry an artichoke bag that weighs 80 90 pounds for up to 80% of the time; must be able to use hand tools, including cutting knives. Must be able to work under conditions where skin and clothing become heavily soiled with mud, water, grease, etc. Must be able to work outdoors in inclement weather conditions, including sun, rain, cold, high winds, etc. Work involves frequent kneeling, turning, reaching, squatting, bending and working in bent or stooped positions. Must be able to walk and stand up extensively. Must be able to operate handheld devices. No smoking, illegal drugs, alcohol, firearms in the field or residential housing.
See addendum C.