Farm Workers

Job description

Perform manual labor to plant, cultivate, and harvest peppers, watermelons, tomatoes, cantaloupes, cabbages, red potatoes, peas, butter beans, sweet corn, cucumbers and okra by hand or machine. Use hand tools such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, shears, and knives. Apply fertilizers and non-restrictive use herbicides. Transplant, weed, thin and prune crops. Clean, pack, stack, load, and label harvested products. Construct and repair fences and farm buildings. Participate in irrigation activities. Set up and operate irrigation equipment. Clear and maintain irrigation ditches. Operate tractors, tractor-drawn machinery, and self-propelled machinery to carry transplants to the field and harvested produce to the packing house. Repair and maintain farm vehicles, implements, and mechanical equipment. Fold and staple corrugated forms to make boxes used for packing. Grade and sort products according to factors such as color, species, length, width, appearance, feel, smell, and quality to ensure correct processing and usage. Discard inferior or defective products and foreign matter and place acceptable products in containers for further processing. Place in containers according to grade and mark grade on containers. Punch holes in plastic with a post to plant tomato plants. Hammer and tie stakes. Sweet corn will be harvested by pulling selected ears from the stalks, placing into crates and loading full crates onto moving trailers. As a minor activity, plant, cultivate and harvest squash. Dig drainage ditches. Manual shovel work. Clean up fields when harvest is over. Inform farmers or farm managers of crop progress. Workers with a valid license and doctor’s certificate may transport other workers in vehicles provided and insured by the employer and be offered additional hours.Assist in 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. Employer may terminate a worker for lawful job-related reasons, including but not limited to situations in which the worker: (1) Is repeatedly absent or tardy; (2) malingers or otherwise refuses, without cause, to perform the work as directed; (3) commits act(s) of misconduct or repeatedly violates the Work Rules; and/or (4) fails, after completing the two day introductory period, to perform work in a competent and skillful manner, consistent with the employer's reasonable expectations.

Special Requirements

Two months verifiable farm work experience required. Continuously walk, bend, stoop, reach, and lift and carry up to 50 lbs. and work in extremely hot, cold, and/or wet weather. No smoking or tobacco products allowed on the property at any time. Employer is a drug free workplace. All drug testing is conducted post hire at the employer's expense and is not part of the interview process.