Berry Workers

Job description

Berry Pickers: Hand-harvest strawberries and blueberries. Duties may include cleaning, field-packing and loading harvested berries. Field grade, sort, or classify berries by size, weight, color, or condition. Perform farm, field and shed sanitation duties. Wash and sanitize picking containers. Cut grass with lawnmowers and trimmers around barns, pond, grass waterways, fields, under fences and farm roadside edges. May fertilize and spray with backpack sprayers. May operate and perform minor maintenance on farm vehicles or equipment. Though not a hiring requirement, if a worker drives a company vehicle during the period of employment then at the time of operating the company vehicle the driver must possess a valid driver’s license issued by a U.S. state or foreign equivalent and operate the company vehicle in accordance with the license restrictions and vehicle classifications applicable to that license. Prolonged walking, standing, bending, stooping, and reaching. Workers may be requested to submit to random drug or alcohol tests at no cost to the worker. Failure to comply with the request or testing positive may result in immediate termination. All testing will occur post-hire and is not a part of the interview process. Negative result may be required post-hire and before commencing work. Must be able to lift 75 lbs. to shoulder height repetitively throughout the workday and able to lift and carry 75 lbs. in field. Must not hinder another worker’s productivity. Use of personal cell phone or other personal electronic device during working hours strictly prohibited except for work-related calls or emergencies and violation may result in immediate termination. Requires one month verifiable work experience hand-harvesting strawberries and blueberries. Must commit to entire anticipated period of employment.

Strawberries: Workers will bend and stoop to pick strawberries according to size, color, shape and degree of maturity and place into field containers. Workers will be expected to pick fully ripe strawberries, discard any cat-faced, deformed, decayed or undersized berries according to supervisor's instructions. Also, workers must carefully remove any undesirable berries from plant that would later cause fungi to attack the plant. Workers may carry full container weighing approximately twenty-five (25) lbs. and empty into field bin or load onto trailer. In some instances workers will be expected to fill a 4-quart/one gallon plastic pail, carefully filling the pail to capacity. (Buckets must be full for correct measure and weight) When full, baskets will be carried 2 or 3 per hand, by the wire handles, nestled to avoid bruising or spillage to end of rows at designated truck-loading place. Then the buckets of berries will be inspected for quality and loaded for transportation to roadside market or coolers. Employees will take turns transporting berries to the coolers, but must transport all fruit at least hourly. Depending on market demand, workers may also be required to pick strawberries in cups and/or flats. Strawberries harvested specifically for sale at a roadside stand as fresh market specialty basket containers must be field graded. For berries harvested for sale at roadside stands, extra care must be used to ensure that each strawberry is undamaged and perfect. All berries must be handled carefully to prevent bruises or fingernail cuts. Pickers will take extreme care not to damage the delicate berries. Quality and workmanship is of the utmost importance.

All workers are required to follow common sanitary practices at all times. This is particularly important when touching crops for human consumption. Workers are required to cleanse their hands by washing thoroughly with soap and water before entering field for harvest activities and after each break. Smoking and the use of tobacco products prohibited during working time.

Special Requirements

Prolonged walking, standing, bending, stooping, and reaching. Workers may be requested to submit to random drug or alcohol tests at no cost to the worker. Failure to comply with the request or testing positive may result in immediate termination. All testing will occur post-hire and is not a part of the interview process. Negative result may be required post-hire and before commencing work. Must be able to lift 75 lbs. to shoulder height repetitively throughout the workday and able to lift and carry 75 lbs. in field. Must not hinder another workers productivity. Use of personal cell phone or other personal electronic device during working hours strictly prohibited except for work-related calls or emergencies and violation may result in immediate termination. Requires one month verifiable work experience hand-harvesting strawberries and blueberries. Must commit to entire anticipated period of employment.