Farm Worker

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
fruits, vegetables, Christmas trees.
Plant, cultivate and harvest vegetables, fruits and trees.

Plant roots, seeds and bulbs. Spread plastic or other groundcovering. Clean plastic by hand from ground upon removal. Till soil. Weed and thin plants. Transplant plants by hand. Stake/tie plants, trellis/prune plants, and set poles and wires for vine plants. Pick, cut, lift, or pull crops. Tie vegetables in bunches. Grade, size, wash and pack product according to company standards. Take care to prevent damaging produce and plants.

Workers may be offered hours in the evening to harvest vegetables for a short period of time during the contract.

Hand thin fruits to control the size and quality of fruit. Remove fruit blossom, bud and/or identifiable fruit from within a cluster of other fruits. Must accurately identify and remove misshapen, damaged or otherwise unmarketable fruit. Harvest: Spot and/or strip pick fruit based on seasonal need. Snap fruit off tree with thumb and palm of hand to avoid stem pulls, punctures, bruising, or other damage. Pick culls and peelers. Use/handle ladders up to 16 ft. in length and weighing up to 60 lbs. Fill fruit buckets/baskets and place fruit in bins. Follow supervisor/foreman's instructions on color/size requirements. Must be able to differentiate between colors and fruit varieties accurately. Some fruits may use mechanized shakers at harvest.

General tree work may include planting, cultivating, hoeing, tree painting, weed mat application, mulching, fertilizing, trimming or training. Place tree guards or cones and hang pheromone dispensers. Tie/position trees and limbs, together and to trellises, using string, tape, wire or other fasteners and supports.

Workers may also cultivate and harvest evergreen trees: cutting trees with gasoline-operated chain saws. Dragging trees from cutting area and shaking trees with mechanical shaker. Shearing trees with knives, pulling cones off, fertilizing and coloring trees with sprayers. Drag cut trees from cutting area, run trees through tree baler and load onto trailers, trucks or wagons. Cut tree boughs to form wreaths and swags.

Perform ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, ground preparation, and other manual tasks. Pick roots, rocks, brush and other field debris. Bending, stooping and kneeling required. Use hand tools including but not limited to hoes, shovels, knives, shears, clippers, loppers, and saws. Lift, carry, and load/unload products or supplies. Cut, bale,stack and load hay.

Use power equipment including but not limited to: tractors, planters, mowers, plows, sprayers, cultivators, power shears, chain saws, high lifts, fork lifts, skid loaders. Must operate agricultural equipment safely, with or without direction.

Clean/maintain farm buildings, structures, equipment, and work areas. Build/repair fences and other structures and maintain property lines.

Work is done in the field for long periods of time. Workers may assist in handling product weighing up to 60 pounds and lifting to a height of 5 feet. Workers must work on their feet in bent positions for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking. Work required in fields when plants are wet with dew and rain, and may be required during light rain, snow, moderate winds, direct sun, high humidity and extreme temperatures. Temperatures in fields during working hours can range from 10 to over 100 degrees F. Workers may be required to work during occasional showers not severe enough to stop field operations. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honey bees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related chemicals may affect a worker’s ability to perform the job. Workers should be able to do the work required with or without reasonable accommodations.

Depending on the work load and crop, workers may be required to work on a crew of 5-7 workers as the employer sees fit.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of three months of prior cultivation/harvest experience in field crop production of fruits or vegetables. Workers must be able to perform manual as well as mechanized activities with accuracy and efficiency. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs. Employer-paid post-hire drug/alcohol testing is required upon reasonable suspicion of use and after a worker has an accident at work.