Harvesters And Machine Operators

Job description

Duties include manually harvesting blueberry and blackberry. Other duties include mechanically harvesting, stacking and loading blueberries, as well as planting, weeding, pruning, cutting-trimming, grading, field packing, repairing irrigation, cleanup, performing maintenance on the farm and general farm labor. This will be done under extreme weather conditions such as heat, direct sunlight, possible rain, wind, and exposure to pollen. Heavy bending, stooping and lifting will be involved on a daily basis.

Workers will perform assigned duties as instructed by their supervisor. Duties may vary from time to time. In order to perform this kind of work, the worker must be able to work outside for at least 8 hours a day in all kinds of weather and be in possession of the requisite physical strength and endurance to repeat the picking process rapidly, working quickly and skillfully with their hands. The first week of employment is considered as an introductory period of employment to acclimate the worker to the physical demands of the work and to familiarize workers with job specifications and to demonstrate proper methods and specific issues. On the first work day, the employer will provide specific instructions in the proper way to perform the crop activity. Thereafter, the worker will be expected to perform the task with diligence as instructed. By the beginning of the second work week, workers will be expected to perform the work in a manner specified by the employer and described herein. After the one-week acclimation period, workers who fail to meet the standard and/or fail to perform the work in the manner specified may be terminated.

Blueberry Hand Harvesting: Workers will move down assigned rows picking all ripe berries, placing them in buckets. Once full, each bucket weights approximately 6 lbs. When buckets are filled, the worker will immediately carry the bucket to the picking wagon. At the picking wagon, workers will dump each filled bucket into a lug where the worker will sort through the harvested berries and remove any berries that do not meet the company's quality/food safety standards. Each lug will then be inspected by the worker's supervisor. Each worker will receive credit for each harvested lug when the supervisor has inspected and approved the lug. Any lug not approved will be returned to the worker to be re-graded.

Blackberry Harvesting: Workers will use picking stand and move down assigned row, picking all ripe berries, taking care to sort and pack containers by size, shape, color, quality and quantity as directed by the supervisor. Each worker shall handle berries carefully to avoid bruising. Bruising will weaken the berry. Upon completion of each box picked, the worker will take his/her completed box to the crate shed to be viewed for grade, palletized and receive credit on his/her picking badge. Any containers that are over under packed will be returned to the worker for repacking.

Blueberry Machine Harvesting: Workers will work in teams to mechanically harvest and stack blueberries. Workers will either operate the harvester machine, stack blueberries in lugs on belt line on top of the harvester machine or drive and operate a forklift to load and unload the lugs of blueberries.

General Farm Labor: Some of the work required from the worker to be performed that is incidental to farming crops listed in this application may be described as performing hand cultivation duties, weeding or hoeing crops, cleaning, repairing seed beds and racks, setting up and moving irrigation pipes and equipment.

The employer will provide the tools necessary to perform the described job duties without charge to the worker. The employer will charge the workers for reasonable costs related to the worker's refusal or negligent failure to return the tools or due to such worker's willful damage to or destruction of the tools.

Special Requirements

Workers must adhere to all safety rules as instructed by the supervisor and practice safety in all aspects of work. Employer is a drug-free workplace.