Farmworker

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
apples, cherries, grapes, apricots, nectarines and pears.
Plant, cultivate and harvest apples, cherries, grapes, apricots, nectarines and pears. Spread plastic or other ground covering. 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. Take care to prevent damaging produce and plants. 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, forklifts, skid loaders. Must operate agricultural equipment safely, with or without direction. Apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other crop protectants. Mix and apply fertilizers, plant growth chemicals, conditioners, and other plant related treatments at the correct times depending on plant type, growth, climate and crop conditions. Clear debris from field and clean/maintain farm buildings, structures, equipment, and work areas. Perform maintenance activities including but not limited to weed control and trellis installation and repair. Put out empty bins. Build/place bands. Cut cardboard. Place pheromones.

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

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.

Pruning: Hand pruning based on fruit variety. Use manual and mechanized pruning tools and equipment. Identify and remove stubs or broken branches, downward-growing branches, branches rubbing against each other, shaded interior branches, dead wood and shoots-suckers and selectively remove diseased limbs and branches due to fire blight and/or bacterial canker.

Use/handle ladders up to 10 ft. in length and weighing up to 26 lbs. or perform work on motorized platform.

Harvest Apples, Apricots, Nectarines & Pears: 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 fruit buckets 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.

Cherries: Hand pick fruit leaving stems attached. Place harvested fruit at bottom of basket/bucket. Avoid stem pulls, punctures, bruising, or other damage. Identify defects (bird pecks, limb rubs, splits, sunburn) and other damage. Follow supervisor/foreman's instructions on fruit quality. Must be able to differentiate between colors and sizes accurately.

Grapes: Workers will plant, cultivate, maintain and harvest grapes. Performs vineyard maintenance activities including but not limited to weed control and trellis installation and repair. Thin fruit and remove shoots, vines and leaves. Performs vineyard maintenance activities, including mowing and weeding. Tie vines to trellises. Must possess the requisite skills and knowledge of what, when, where and how much to prune on a grape vine. Identify and remove the proper canes and vines while retaining the fruiting wood and renewal spurs.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of 3 months of agricultural employment experience, handling both manual and mechanized tasks associated with commodity production and harvest activities. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. Workers travelling internationally will need to secure a negative COVID test result both prior to their departure and upon arrival. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs. Employer-paid post-hire random, upon suspicion, and post-accident drug and/or alcohol testing required, (if there is reason to believe the accident was caused by drugs and /or alcohol).