Vineyard Workers

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
wine grapes.
Mow, cut, and weed fields. Perform ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, ground preparation, and other manual tasks. Bending, stooping and kneeling required. Use hand tools including but not limited to hoes, shovels, shears, clippers, loppers, and saws. Lift, carry, and load/unload products or supplies. Use power equipment including but not limited to: tractors, planters, mowers, weadeater, plows, sprayers, cultivators, power shears, chain saws, high lifts, fork lifts, skid loaders. Must operate agricultural equipment safely, with or without direction. Assist with farm building/field maintenance and repairs. Build/repair fences.

Plant, cultivate, and harvest grapes. Performs tasks under supervision in vineyard/winery operation. Thin fruit and remove shoots and vines. Performs vineyard maintenance activities, including mowing and weeding. Install and maintain vine trellises. Tie vines to trellises. Must possess the requisite skills and knowledge of what, when, where and how much to prune on a grape vine. Identify and remove the proper canes and vines while retaining the fruiting wood and renewal spurs. Must demonstrate and consistently utilize pruning practices that assure vine balance and preserve vine health. Manage vineyard canopy management to permit light and air circulation. Install and maintain bird netting. Assist/move harvested fruit from field to processing area. May perform general indoor tasks or post-harvest activities (e.g., packing or moving products to storage at winery facility) when outdoor vineyard work is not available (all such activities will be performed incident to or in conjunction with vineyard operation).

Work is done in the field for long periods of time. Workers may 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 may 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 may 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.

Employer-paid post-hire drug testing is required upon reasonable suspicion of use.

Persons seeking employment in this position must be available for the entire period requested by the employer. All workers will be subject to a trial period of up to five days during which the employer will evaluate workers' performance of required tasks. Employer reserves the right to terminate a worker if the employer reasonably finds worker's performance during the trial period to be unacceptable.

Employer may request, but not require, workers to work more than the stated daily hours and/or on a worker’s Sabbath or federal holidays. Workers will have an unpaid lunch break. Worker must report to work at designated time and place each day. Daily or weekly work schedule may vary due to weather, sunlight, temperature, crop conditions, and other factors. Employer will notify workers of any change to start time.

TERMINATION. All workers will be subject to a five-day trial period, during which the employer will evaluate workers' performance of required tasks. Employer reserves the right to terminate a worker at the conclusion of the trial period if the worker’s performance fails to satisfy the employer’s reasonable expectations, or is otherwise unacceptable.

Special Requirements

Applicants must be able to furnish verifiable job reference(s) or comparable third party documentation from recent employer(s). Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs. Employer-paid post-hire drug testing required.