Farmworker - Agricultural Equipment Operator

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
blueberries.
This job requires a minimum of 3 months of verifiable agricultural field work experience including a minimum of 3 months of verifiable experience operating blueberry harvesting machine, other harvesting machine or tractor, handling both manual and mechanized tasks. Applicants must be able to furnish verifiable job reference(s) or comparable third party documentation from recent employer(s) establishing acceptable prior experience.

Hand-harvest export-quality blueberries and/or operate machine-harvester for blueberries and/or work on the harvester for export-quality berries.

Hand pick/harvest blueberries destined for export to quailty standards of export required.
Trellis berry plants. Install trellis posts.
Weed specific fields of blueberry varieties. Bending, stooping and kneeling required. Use hand tools including but not limited to hoes, shovels.

Use power equipment including but not limited to: driving tractors with various implements and spray tanks attached, harvesters, planters, mowers, plows, sprayers, cultivators, high lifts, fork lifts. Must operate agricultural equipment safely, with or without direction.

Apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other crop protectants. Mix and apply chemicals, plant growth chemicals, conditioners, and other plant related treatments at the correct times depending on plant type, growth, climate and crop conditions.

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.

Must wear assigned personal protective equipment when required. Must report for work daily wearing work clothing and boots or other durable foot wear. Shorts, bathing suits or other casual clothing not permitted. Workers wearing clothing inappropriate for work will not be permitted to start work. Workers must obey all safety rules and basic instructions and be able to recognize, understand and comply with safety, pesticide warning/re-entry and other essential postings. Non-employees access to work sites or adjacent areas strictly prohibited. Non-working minors may not be present, adjacent to worksites, or left in vehicles during the day.
Workers with a clean driving record (no major moving violations such as but not limited to

Driving While Intoxicated or Reckless Driving) and able to obtain an insurable driver's license may be required to drive company vehicles. Workers with appropriate licenses and a valid doctor's certificate may be asked to drive other workers.

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.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of 3 months of verifiable agricultural field work experience including a minimum of 3 months of verifiable experience operating blueberry harvesting machine, other harvesting machine or tractor, handling both manual and mechanized tasks. Applicants must be able to furnish verifiable job reference(s) or comparable third party documentation from recent employer(s) establishing acceptable prior experience. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs. Workers with clean driving record and/or insurable driver's license may be required to drive company vehicles.