Farmworker

Job description

Plant, cultivate, harvest and pack fruits and vegetables including but not limited to: strawberries, sweet corn, apples, peaches, tomatoes, string beans, pumpkins and cabbage. Perform ongoing orchard maintenance including pruning and thinning fruit trees. Use hand tools, such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, shears, and knives. Till soil. Transplant, weed, thin, or prune crops. Clean, grade, sort, pack, and load harvested products. Workers may ride on tractor, maintain trellises, repair fences and farm buildings or participate in irrigation activities. Workers will walk the orchard carrying a six foot ladder from tree to tree to thin and prune. Workers will be assigned rows of trees and must prune and thin each tree as shown by the field supervisor. Limbs must not be torn from the tree, nor should limbs be completely stripped of leaves. In thinning, workers will pluck by hand as instructed. Proper spacing and selection of fruit is critical to maximize the tree's potential yield. Harvest fruits and vegetables by hand, inform farmers or farm managers of crop progress. Grade and sort products according to factors such as color, species, length, width, appearance, feel, smell and quality to ensure correct processing and usage. Workers must use care when grading and packing not to damage and bruise produce. Discard inferior or defective products and/or foreign matter and place acceptable produce into containers for further processing. Weigh products or estimate their weight, visually or by feel. Place products in containers according to grade and mark grades on containers. Workers are also responsible for farm, field and shed sanitation duties, including picking up trash, cleaning bathrooms and sweeping floors. Occasional manual digging. Use mowers and weed eaters on employer’s premises around wells, buildings, farm equipment. Transplant in greenhouses. Move, load and unload greenhouse grown plants, planting tools and materials. Pot and label plants. Fill pots and trays with soil. Crops may be harvested and field packed, or transported to the packinghouse for further processing. Assist with Good Agricultural Practices policies.

Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honey bees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related chemicals may affect a worker’s ability to perform the job. Persons seeking employment in this position must be available for the entire period requested by the employer. Employer reserves the right to discharge an obviously unqualified worker, malingerer or recalcitrant worker who is physically able but is unwilling to perform the work necessary for the employer to grow a premium quality product, or for any other lawful reason.

Employer may request, but not require, workers to work more than the stated daily hours and/or on a worker’s Sabbath or federal holidays. Worker must report to work at designated time and place each day. Daily or weekly work schedule may vary due to weather, sunlight, temperature, crop conditions, and other factors. Employer will notify workers of any change to start time.

Workers should expect occasional periods of little or no work because of weather, crop or other conditions beyond the employer's control. These periods can occur anytime throughout the season. Workers may be assigned a variety of duties in any given day and different tasks on different days.

TERMINATION. All workers will be subject to a two day introductory period, during which the employer will evaluate workers' performance of required tasks. Employer reserves the right to terminate a worker at the conclusion of the introductory period if the worker’s performance fails to satisfy the employer’s reasonable expectations, or is otherwise unacceptable.

Special Requirements

Three months of farmwork experience is required. Bend, reach, stand and walk and work in a stooped or crouched position for prolonged periods of time; lift, carry and load up to 75 lbs. repetitively; work at a vigorous pace; climb, move, place and
work on orchard ladders up to 6ft tall. Possible pushing and pulling. Work may be outside in extremely hot, cold and/or wet weather for extensive periods of time. Hazardous Occupation.