Farmworker

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
Apples, Cherries, Chestnuts, Strawberries, Pumpkins, Blueberries, Cattle.
This job requires a minimum of 3 months of agricultural work experience working in a commercial tree fruit harvest farm handling both manual and mechanized tasks associated with commodity production. Workers must be able to perform manual and mechanized tasks with accuracy and efficiency. Plant, cultivate and harvest apples, chestnuts, strawberries and pumpkins. 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. Grade, size and field pack product. Take care to prevent damaging produce and plants. 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, plows, sprayers, cultivators, power shears, chain saws, high lifts, fork lifts, skid loaders. Must operate agricultural equipment safely, with or without direction. Apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other crop protectants. Mix and apply fertilizers, plant growth chemicals, conditioners, and other plant related treatments at the correct times depending on plant type, growth, climate and crop conditions. Assist with farm building/field maintenance and repairs. Build/repair/weed under fences.

All Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Primus rules must be followed. These rules will be presented and reviewed by manager before harvest.

Apple Thinning:

Hand thin to control the size and quality of fruit. Remove fruit blossom, bud and/or identifiable fruit from within a cluster of other fruits. Must accurately identify and remove misshapen, damaged or otherwise unmarketable fruit.

Pruning: Hand pruning based on fruit variety. Use manual and mechanized pruning tools and equipment. Identify and remove stubs or broken branches, downward-growing branches, branches rubbing against each other, shaded interior branches, dead wood and shoots-suckers.

Apple Harvest:

Spot and/or strip pick fruit based on seasonal need. Snap fruit off tree with thumb and palm of hand to avoid stem pulls, punctures, bruising, or other damage. Pick culls and peelers. Fill fruit buckets and place fruit in bins. Follow supervisor/foreman's instructions on color/size requirements. Must be able to differentiate between colors and fruit varieties accurately. Supervisors will explain and demonstrate picking requirements to all workers at the start of the season and as needed thereafter to ensure quality standards. Bruised or damaged fruit will be noted by supervisor(s) in a post-inspection quality report. Supervisors may issue written disciplinary notice to workers with a significant number of culls, bruised, or damaged fruit. Repeated failure to follow quality control instructions may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Apple Pruning:

Apple pruning is done by hand saw and/or loppers. Pruning is the removal of selective apple limbs. Demonstration will be given by foreman beforehand.

Ladder Use:

Use/Handle ladders up to 18ft in length and weighing up to 50lbs. Must use ladders in a safe manner. Do not lean on tree leadders, do not lean off to side of ladder, and do not stand on the top 2 steps. Do not climb the trees, use ladder. Foreman will demonstrate correct use of ladders.

Hand Mowing:

Hand mowing is done by using a hand sickle to remove weeds from around/under trees.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of 3 months of agricultural work experience working in a commercial tree fruit harvest farm handling both manual and mechanized tasks associated with commodity production. Workers must be able to perform manual and mechanized tasks with accuracy and efficiency. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs. Employer-paid post-hire drug testing is required upon reasonable suspicion of use.