Farm Workers
Employer
2188 Maplewood Rd
Dumas, AR 71639
United States
Job description
Perform manual labor to cultivate, grade and harvest watermelons and cantaloupe. Workers will ride on transplanter to transplant watermelons and cantaloupe. Workers will walk in designated areas pre-selecting and removing mature watermelons from the vine and rolling watermelons according to supervisor’s instructions. Select, harvest and load cantaloupe according to supervisor’s instructions. The selection of mature melons to be harvested is based on appearance only considering the variances in shape, size, weight, and external color while also considering other factors such as location of vine, age of crop, number of times crop has been cut, growing conditions of crop, as well as variety of melons. A group of workers will walk through the field and pick up pre-selected watermelons and select and harvest cantaloupe by hand and load onto transport vehicles. During the loading process, workers will work in an assembly line, lifting selected melons, pitching the melons to another worker who catches the melons and pitches them to another worker or gently places them into a transport vehicle. Melons are unloaded and placed into bins for shipment or to be placed on shelves for retail. In the packing process, melons are unloaded from harvest transport vehicles where employees lift melons from harvest vehicle and pass to another employee who gently places the melons in designated areas. Count and check product. Discard any product with defects which render them unmarketable. Clean and maintain fields including pulling weeds. Duties also include field and shed sanitation. As a minor activity, assist with harvesting soybeans. All job activities are required to be done cautiously as not to damage growing crops or product. Workers who have a valid driver's license and doctor's certificate may drive transportation vehicles to transport workers and may be offered additional hours. Workers are required to practice Good Agricultural Practices policies.
Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honey bees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related chemicals may affect a worker’s ability to perform the job. Persons seeking employment in this position must be available for the entire period requested by the employer. Employer reserves the right to discharge an obviously unqualified worker, malingerer or recalcitrant worker who is physically able but is unwilling to perform the work necessary for the employer to grow a premium quality product, or for any other lawful reason.
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. 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.
Workers should expect occasional periods of little or no work because of weather, crop or other conditions beyond the employer's control. These periods can occur anytime throughout the season. Workers may be assigned a variety of duties in any given day and different tasks on different days.
TERMINATION. All workers will be subject to a two day introductory 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 introductory period if the worker’s performance fails to satisfy the employer’s reasonable expectations, or is otherwise unacceptable.
Special Requirements
Requires prolonged walking, bending, stooping, and pitching, catching, lifting, carrying and loading up to 50 pounds. Work is in unfavorable conditions such as high temperatures, wet or dry/dusty conditions and general summer time adversity. Physical stamina is required.