Farmworker

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
fruits and vegetables, including, but not limited to, strawberries, raspberries, cucumbers, squash, peppers, tomatoes, sweet corn, cantaloupes, watermelon, pumpkins, eggplant, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts.
Plant, cultivate and harvest fruits and vegetables. Use hand tools including, but not limited to: shovels, hoes and knives. 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. Take care to prevent damaging produce and plants. Work in fields. Prune, plant, cultivate and hand-harvest berries. Spread and remove ground covers. Place and monitor bug traps. Trellis berry plants. Train berry canes. Monitor growth for tipping/pruning. Pick/harvest berries according to quality standards. Load/transport harvested berries. 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.

Bunch/bundle product pursuant to supervisor instructions. Grade, size and field pack product. No packing house duties are included in this job order. Fill bins/trays and other containers with product, level bins, and prepare product for shipment to market or storage. Follow quality control standards and production procedures. Handle product carefully to prevent damage. Lift, carry, and load/unload products or supplies. Palletize and stack boxes/containers.

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. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 pounds.

Supervisor(s) will provide instructions and directions to workers. Workers must be able to comprehend and follow instructions and communicate effectively to supervisors. Unusual, complex or non-routine activities will be supervised. Workers expected to perform basic duties in a timely and proficient manner without close supervision. Workers must obey all safety rules and basic instructions and be able to recognize, understand and comply with safety, pesticide warning/re-entry and other essential postings. Workers must operate equipment, with or without direction, in a manner that protects operator, visitors, other workers, products, trees, crops and equipment. Failure to comply with safety requirements and operating instructions may result in termination.

Tobacco use strictly prohibited.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of 3 months of prior agricultural experience, preferably working on a vegetable farm, handling both machine and manual tasks associated with commodity production and harvest activities. Workers must be able to safely perform all duties, manual as well as mechanized, with accuracy and efficiency. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 pounds.