Farm Worker

Job description

Crops: Pears, mint, garlic, wheat, fallow grounds, alfalfa, skullcap, echinacea, lemon balm, catnip & pasture grass
Farm workers will participate in general duties associated with a commercial farming operation including but not limited to planting, growing, harvesting and packing of row crops. Pruning of pears with use of pruning equipment including: hand shears, hand loppers, and hand saws. The worker must possess ability to bend over for long periods of time. In addition, Farmworkers will comply with all safety, labor, and food safety requirements.

Maximize crop by best weeding and harvesting practices; perform work on and off farming machinery/equipment, that seed crops, transplant crops, spray crops, harvest crops and cultivate fields; perform work moving and setting up irrigation pipes and attend all safety meetings.

Provide weed control by removing undesired plants by hand pulling, hoeing or cutting them out.

Perform irrigation maintenance and general maintenance or repair of installed or pre-installed irrigation parts as required for proper irrigation on crops.

Planting hand or machine assisted planting of small plants.

Harvesting Garlic row crops according to instructions of supervisor. Exercise care to prevent bruising or breaking of row crop. Hand harvesting garlic that may be clipped with hand pruners placed in buckets and then loaded into larger wooden bins.

Workers can also:
1. Operate or maintain equipment used in agricultural production and field preparation such, as tractors, irrigation equipment, 4-wheelers, trucks, and other commonly used equipment in agriculture.
2. Operate tractors to mow, weed spray and move bin/tote trailers in the fields.
3. Load and mix chemicals in addition to operating tractors pulling air blast sprayers. Workers will be trained in the safe use of chemicals.
4. Install, monitor, maintain and repair the irrigation system for a specified field area.
5. Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers.

Special Requirements

Three months of tree fruit experience required. There are general conditions of employment, general job specifications and individual requirements that are specific to each job duty.

This type of work involves working conditions that require tremendous stamina, a high level of physical activity in cold or extremely hot conditions in direct sunlight and in adverse weather such as rain. The work requires a high level of physical conditioning. Workers may be subject to mandatory drug testing if they have been involved in a reportable accident or upon reasonable suspicion that drug use may be impacting job performance. Any drug test will be conducted at the employer's expense. All drug testing will be conducted post-hire.