Farmworker / Laborer

Job description

CHERRY Harvest: The Worker will hand harvest cherries, this can be performed from a motorized platform and/or from the ground or a ladder. The Worker will attach harness, bucket or bag and pick low hanging fruit while standing or on a ladder. The Worker will pick according to grade, color and size by grasping fruit with the hands and removing from the tree in a motion so as not to harm adjacent buds on the tree branches. The Worker will carry harness, bucket or bag of up to 20 lbs. and will place fruit into plastic lugs which hold approximately 30 pounds of fruit. Care must be exercised at all times to prevent bruising of fruit or breaking of branches. Some Workers may be required to examine harvested fruit in plastic/wooden bins and sort out any fruit not meeting the grade, color and size specifications. The worker must possess the ability to pick-up, handle a 10 ft. or 12 ft. orchard ladder weighing up to 40 pounds.

APPLES/PEARS/PEACHES/NECTARINES/PLUMS/PLUOTS/APRIUMS Harvest: The Worker will hand harvest apples/pears/peaches/nectarines/plums/pluots/apriums this can be performed from a motorized platform and/or from the ground or a ladder. The Worker will attach harness, bucket or bag and picks low hanging fruit while standing on the ground and higher branches while standing on a ladder. The Worker will pick according to grade, color and size by grasping fruit with the hands and removing from the tree in a motion so as not to harm adjacent buds on the tree branches. The Worker will carry harness, bucket or bag of up to 60 lbs. and will place fruit into wooden bins, 4’x4’x3’ which hold approximately 25 bushels of fruit. Care must be exercised at all times to prevent bruising of fruit or breaking of branches. The Worker may be required to examine harvested fruit in bins and sort out any fruit not meeting the grade, color and size specifications. The Worker must possess the ability to pick-up; handle a 10 ft. or 12 ft. orchard ladder weighing up to 40 pounds.

THINNING: Thinning is a manual process used to control the size and quality of grown fruit. The Worker must possess the ability to pick up, handle a 10 ft. or 12 ft. orchard ladder weighing 40 pounds. Furthermore, the Worker must be able to use scissor like clippers. This process requires the Worker to remove, in some cases not limited to the smallest fruit blossom, bud and/or identifiable fruit from within a cluster of other fruits. The Worker will be expected to be able to identify and remove fruit that is misshapen, damaged and/or with other quality problems as directed by supervisors. Thinning may be performed from a motorized platform and/or from the ground or a ladder.

TRAINING: Training is a process in which the fruit tree is manipulated to increase yield and/or quality. The Worker must possess ability to pick up, handle a 10 ft. or 12 ft. orchard ladder weighing 40 pounds. Training may be performed from a motorized platform and/or from the ground or ladder. Some example training tasks are but not limited to:

• Tying, taping, or clipping apple, pear, peach, nectarine, plum, pluot, aprium, or cherry limbs to wires.
• Tying up or down apple, pear, peach, nectarine, plum, pluot, aprium or cherry limbs.
• Training and limb positioning of apple, pear, peach, nectarine, plum, pluot, aprium and cherry trees.
• Shoot thinning, sucker removal, cluster thinning, shoot positioning, hedging, or leaf removal.
• Propping and supporting apple and pear trees.

Special Requirements

This job requires pruning, thinning, training, harvesting apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots, apriums, and cherries by the worker.

The employer prefers 3 months of tree fruit experience.

There are general conditions of employment, general job specifications and individual requirements that are specific to each job duty:

GENERAL CONDITIONS: Field work begins at assigned time shortly after daylight. Work may be performed during light rain and in high humidity and in freezing or high heat temperatures. The worker may be required to work in the orchard when trees are wet with dew/rain and should have suitable clothing for variable weather conditions. Worker will lift or load up to 60lbs.