Farmworker

Job description

Crops/Commodities: hops, apples.
This job requires a minimum of 3 months of commercial agricultural employment experience associated with the production of labor-intensive row crops, handling both manual and mechanized tasks. Workers must be able to perform manual and mechanized tasks with accuracy and efficiency.

Mow, cut, and weed fields. Perform ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, ground preparation, and other manual tasks. Bending, stooping and kneeling required. Use hand tools including but not limited to hoes, shovels, shears, clippers, loppers, and saws. Lift, carry, and load/unload products or supplies. 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. Clear debris from field and clean/maintain farm buildings, structures, equipment, and work areas. Assist with farm building/field maintenance and repairs. Build/repair fences.

Apples:

Planting: Propagate plants by placing buds/scions. Plant seedlings or 'liners' by hand or with mechanical planter. Clear cull stock, brush and debris. Dig holes and shovel dirt.

Trellis Construction:
Worker will erect trellis as directed. Duties will include digging holes for orchard posts and metal stakes and will also be expected to lift and set orchard posts into holes. Posts will weigh no more than 40 pounds. Worker may also be required to assist with pulling trellis wire down orchard rows and feed wire through metal staples on posts.

Tree Training: hoeing, tree painting, weed mat application. Tie/position trees and limbs, together and to trellises, using string, tape, wire or other fasteners and supports.

Thinning: Hand thin 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.

Use/handle ladders up to 12 ft. in length and weighing up to 40 lbs. or perform work on motorized platform.

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. Fill picking bags 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. Supervisors will explain and demonstrate picking requirements to all workers at the start of the season and as needed thereafter to ensure quality standards. Bruised or damaged fruit will be noted by supervisor(s) in a post-inspection quality report. Supervisors may issue written disciplinary notice to workers with a significant number of culls, bruised, or damaged fruit. Repeated failure to follow quality control instructions may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Hops:

Workers may be required to work some night shifts.

Hop training – training hop vines onto strings. Load string bundles onto string cart. Top tie string to trellis. "Pogo" hop strings into hop hills with hop clips. Fix loose/missing strings. Fix non-compliant acreage immediately. Hills found without clips may result in suspension or discharge. No unused string may be discarded in the field.

Hop Vine Unloader/Hanger: Job consists of unloading hop trucks at a stationary picking machine. Hanging hop vines is physically demanding and requires the employee to grasp, lift and place the ends of hop vines on hooks that transfer the vines from the truck beds to the picking apparatus.

Other Job Specifications Include:

1. Hop vines will irritate/scratch exposed skin. Employee must bring and wear long sleeve shirts and gloves.
2. Employee must wear provided eye protection.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of 3 months of commercial agricultural employment experience associated with the production of labor-intensive row crops, handling both manual and mechanized tasks. Workers must be able to perform manual and mechanized tasks with accuracy and efficiency. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs. Employer-paid post-hire drug testing is required after a worker has an accident at work. Clean driving record required. Must have and maintain valid, insurable drivers license. Workers may be required to work some night shifts. Each worker will be assigned to a shift.