Nursery Worker

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
nursery stock - trees, shrubs.
This job requires a minimum of three months of prior agricultural field work employment experience, preferably on a tree farm, handling both manual and machine tasks associated with commodity production and harvest activities. Workers must be able to perform manual as well as mechanized activities with accuracy and efficiency. Tasks related to the growing of nursery stock will include some combination of the following: preparing fields for planting by clearing cull stock, brush and debris; planting seedlings or ‘liners’ by hand (including riding and inserting liners in a mechanical planter); digging, loading, unloading or transplanting bare-root nursery stock; straightening, tying, staking, pruning and shearing trees and shrubs; cutting, pulling or removing and mowing weeds or grass; moving irrigation equipment; spraying herbicides and insecticides and applying fertilizer.

Tasks related to harvest of nursery stock will include the following: taking inventory and grading plants, preparing trees and shrubs for digging by tying or wrapping as necessary; digging; drum lacing and quarter lacing; wrapping burlap or other covering around root balls and securing with twine and/or staples; crimping wire baskets; lifting, carrying and loading nursery stock; and unloading, moving or loading supplies, including wire baskets.

Plants must be handled carefully to ensure that leaves, limbs, and roots are not broken during digging, handling, wrapping and/or transplanting processes.

Mechanized tree spade helpers will work as part of a crew comprised of one operator and 2 or more helpers. The helper will remove the tree from the tree spade, tighten the burlap in an acceptable manner, crimp wire basket around the root ball, lace top of ball with sisal twine, and crimp basket to tighten twine.

Work will also include heavy mechanized field work using power equipment. By way of example and not limitation power equipment may include power shears, chainsaws, high lift, and forklift, skid loader and tractors. Workers will be expected to be able to operate agricultural equipment with or without direction.

Workers should be able to work on their feet in bent positions for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, insect spray, related chemicals, etc. may affect workers’ ability to perform the job. Workers are exposed to wet weather early in the morning through the heat of the day, working in fields. Temperatures may range from 10 to 100 F. Workers may be required to work during occasional showers not severe enough to stop work activities. Workers should be physically able to do the work required with or without reasonable accommodations. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 50 lbs. Employer-paid post-hire drug testing is required at random, upon reasonable suspicion of use and after a worker has an accident at work.

Employer assures that workers will be provided transportation from living quarters to work site every day (for workers who must be provided housing under the applicable regulations).

Workers may not report for work while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Except for moderate alcohol consumption in company housing during non-working hours, the possession or use of illegal drugs or alcohol on Company property is prohibited and will be cause for termination.

The employer may discipline the worker, including brief suspension of work activities (“time out”) for a period determined by the supervisor, suspension from employment for a set period of days or termination of employment as described in the “Work Rules and Disciplinary Procedures.”

Persons seeking employment as experienced Nursery Worker must be available for the entire period requested by the employer.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of three months of prior agricultural field work employment experience, preferably on a tree farm, handling both manual and machine tasks associated with commodity production and harvest activities. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 50 lbs. Employer-paid post-hire drug testing is required at random, upon reasonable suspicion of use and after a worker has an accident at work.