Horticultural Worker

Job description

Workers will perform tasks for various employers as listed on their contract.
Crops: Herbacous Annuals and perennials.

Worker Responsibilities:
• Pot plants in appropriate size pots and label them as needed
• Retrieve plug trays and transport finished plants
• Gather and ready materials for potting
• Follow proper SOPs
• Continually look for ways to improve potting process
• Maintain quality at every step of the potting process, monitor quality diligently which would include potting depth, straightness, and quality of liner.
• Understand inputs required such as soil types, hard goods, and additives.
• Keep area clean and organized- Follow 5S procedure
• Communicate any issues to the production supervisor or nursery manager
• Assist in maintaining equipment
• Follow all safety requirements and communicate any safety issues or concerns to production supervisor or nursery manager
• Work as a team on and off the potting line.
• Must be able to work efficiently both independently and within a team.
• Assist in other areas of the nursery as needed or as needs arise.

Farm Equipment Operation: Workers may be required to operate farm equipment during daily operations, as an incidental activity. Before any worker is required to operate any farm equipment, workers will be instructed in the safety and operation of the tractor before driving the tractor. Tractors should be driven in a manner to protect operator, other workers, products, trees, crops, and equipment. Repeated failure to obey safety requirements and operating instructions may result in termination.

General Maintenance: Workers will perform various duties for up keeping of the nursery, greenhouses, fields, equipment, and buildings. These duties may include painting of nursery buildings, fence repair, mowing, weed eating, and other general building and ground maintenance.

GENERAL CONDITIONS APPLICABLE TO ALL CROPS: Fieldwork begins at assigned time usually shortly after daylight. Work is performed during light rain and in high humidity and in temperatures ranging from 100 (+) degrees to 35 degrees F. Workers will work on their feet in bent, stooped, and crouched positions for long periods of time. Workers will make fast, simple, repeated movements of fingers, hands, and wrists. Workers must be able to bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with the body, arms, and/or legs. Workers will use muscles to lift, push, pull, or carry heavy objects, such as potted plants. Workers will frequently lift trees ranging in weight 75 lbs. and occasionally 100 lbs. Workers may occasionally lift trees weighing up to 100 lbs. Workers will supply their own work clothes. All the tasks in this Job Description constitute one (1) job; the employer may assign workers to different tasks on any day or to multiple tasks during the same day in the sole judgment of the employer. Workers may be required to perform work on the farm that is incidental to farming the crops listed in the application, such as performing hand cultivation tasks, bedding and potting plants, pulling grass, weeding or hoeing, cleaning and repairing farm buildings, pallets, seed beds, racks, grounds, mowing, weed eating, operate tractor/farm equipment, sprayers, incidental crop set up, move irrigation pipes and equipment, gardening, weeding and shrubbing, etc. All other duties assigned under this order will be those duties of Horticulture Workers, SOC code 45-2092.01. This is a very demanding and competitive business in which quality specifications must be rigorously adhered to. Sloppy work cannot and will not be tolerated.

Instructions and general supervision will be provided by the farm owner/supervisor or a designated employee. However, field workers will be expected to perform their duties in a timely and proficient manner without close supervision.

Special Requirements

Must have three months experience working in agriculture/horticulture. Applicants must be able to furnish affirmative job references from recent employers operating comparable operations establishing acceptable previous experience. Must be physically able to meet and perform all job specifications stated in job order. Must be able to work in the hot humid weather for extended periods of time. Workers are subject to random drug testing at no cost to the employee. Failing or refusing a drug test will result in immediate termination.