Orchard Workers

Job description

Perform manual labor to plant pecan trees, cultivate, graft and harvest pecans by hand and machine. Clean, pack and load harvested products. Operate farm vehicles, tractors, and agricultural equipment. Ongoing orchard maintenance including pruning and thinning on ladders and lifts. Use hand tools such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, pruning scissors, pipe fitting, pipe wrenches, shears, pick axes and wheel barrow. Workers will be assigned rows of trees and must prune and thin each tree as shown by field supervisor. Limbs must not be torn from the tree; nor should limbs be completely stripped of leaves. Till soil; transplant, weed, thin and prune crops. Repair fences and farm buildings. Paint and scrape old buildings. Repair and maintain farm vehicles and agricultural equipment. Pick up old pecans in the field to be hauled off. Use wheel barrow to haul dirt, concrete and mulch to washes in the field. Lift and carry buckets to spread fertilizer, keeping up, as tractor pulls fertilizer trailer through orchard. Haul fertilizer to young trees with wheel barrow. Apply fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. Remove unwanted weeds by hand in orchard. Clear and maintain irrigation ditches including checking valves. Set up, operate and maintain irrigation equipment. Use pick ax and shovel to make new irrigation ditches in the field. Workers may tow trailers to haul equipment, product and/or materials. Workers with licenses may transport workers and may be offered additional hours.

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. Employer may terminate a worker for lawful job-related reasons, including but not limited to situations in which the worker: (1) Is repeatedly absent or tardy; (2) malingers or otherwise refuses, without cause, to perform the work as directed; (3) commits act(s) of misconduct or repeatedly violates the Work Rules; and/or (4) fails, after completing the two day introductory period, to perform work in a competent and skillful manner, consistent with the employer's reasonable expectations. Non-U.S. workers may be displaced as a result of one or more U.S. workers becoming available for the job during the employer’s recruitment period. Job abandonment will be deemed to occur after five consecutive workdays of unexcused absences. Workers may not report for work under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Special Requirements

Three months of verifiable pecan pruning experience required. Lift and carry up to 50 lbs. Climb 6 ft. ladders and use 25 ft. lifts. Work outside in extremely hot, cold and/or wet weather. Perform prolonged walking, pushing, pulling, bending, lifting and reaching over head for extended periods of time. Use a cherry picker and/or lift while pruning pecan trees. Hazardous occupation. The employer does not hire persons convicted of sex related crimes except under extremely limited circumstances. Individual circumstances will be taken into consideration at the request of the applicant. Employer is a drug-free workplace. Drug testing is conducted post hire at the employers expense and is not part of the interview process. Employees may be subject to a drug test upon suspicion or in the case of a work related accident.