Farm Worker

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
cauliflower, cucumbers, zucchini/summer squash, peppers, eggplant, sweet corn, winter squash, lettuce, beets, watermelons, and kale/greens, flowers, vegetable plants.
This job requires a minimum of three months of verifiable prior experience working on a commercial vegetable crop farm handling manual and machine tasks associated with commodity production and harvest activities. Plant, cultivate and harvest vegetables (cauliflower, cucumbers, zucchini/summer squash, peppers, eggplant, sweet corn, winter squash, lettuce, beets, watermelons, and kale/greens. ) . 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 vegetables in bunches. Grade, size and field pack product; sort, grade, pack product in packing facility. Take care to prevent damaging produce and plants. Remove stakes and twine from fields. Mow, cut, and weed fields. Perform ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, ground preparation, and other manual tasks. Bending, stooping and kneeling required. Lift, carry, and load/unload products or supplies. Use power equipment including but not limited to: tractors, planters, mowers, plows, sprayers, cultivators, power shears, chain saws, high lifts, fork lifts, skid loaders. Must operate agricultural equipment safely, with or without direction. Install/maintain irrigation systems and water lines. Move and install irrigation pipes and equipment. Dig and maintain ditches. Install and remove levee gates. Clear debris from field and clean work areas and assigned equipment.

Perform manual and mechanized tasks associated with the production of flowers and vegetable plants. Plant, cultivate, and maintain nursery stock, bedding plants, plugs, liners, hanging baskets, and other horticultural varieties. Propagate plants from cuttings. Plant/pot seedlings, fill and label trays, move product to/from greenhouses and/or loading/unloading areas. Crimp wire baskets. Attach hangers to baskets and hang throughout holding houses. Move containerized plants using rolling/electric carts. Load/unload trucks and product from conveyor belt. Install/remove plastic coverings. Clean/maintain work area.

Prune, trim, and perform other general plant maintenance. Water or irrigate plants, and apply fertilizer or other chemicals. Maintain irrigation systems. Count, inventory, and grade plants. Pack, label, tag, pull, sort, and store plants by variety

Work is done in the field for long periods of time. Workers will assist in handling product weighing up to 60 pounds and lifting to a height of 5 feet. Workers must work on their feet in bent positions for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking. Work required in fields when plants are wet with dew and rain, and will be required during light rain, snow, moderate winds, direct sun, high humidity and extreme temperatures. Temperatures in fields during working hours can range from 10 to over 100 degrees F. Workers will be required to work during occasional showers not severe enough to stop field operations. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honey bees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related chemicals may affect a worker’s ability to perform the job. Workers should be able to do the work required with or without reasonable accommodations. Saturday work required.

Supervisor(s) will provide instructions and directions to workers. Workers must be able to comprehend and follow instructions and communicate effectively to supervisors. Unusual, complex or non-routine activities will be supervised. Workers expected to perform basic duties in a timely and proficient manner without close supervision.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of three months of verifiable prior experience working on a commercial vegetable crop farm handling manual and machine tasks associated with commodity production and harvest activities. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs. Saturday work required. Employer-paid post-hire random, upon suspicion, and post-accident drug testing required.