Harvester

Job description

Duties include harvesting blueberry, tobacco, bell pepper, squash and eggplant. Other duties include planting, grading, field packing, weeding, hoeing, pruning, cleanup, operating combine, performing maintenance on the farm and general farm labor. This will be done under extreme weather conditions such as heat, direct sunlight and possible rain. Heavy bending, stooping and lifting will be involved on a daily basis.

Workers will perform assigned duties as instructed by their supervisor. Duties may vary from time to time. In order to perform this kind of work, the worker must be able to work outside for at least 7 hours a day in all kinds of weather and be in possession of the requisite physical strength and endurance to repeat the picking process rapidly, working quickly and skillfully with their hands. The first week of employment is considered as an introductory period of employment to acclimate the worker to the physical demands of the work and to familiarize workers with job specifications and to demonstrate proper methods and specific issues. On the first work day, the employer will provide specific instructions in the proper way to perform the crop activity. Thereafter, the worker will be expected to perform the task with diligence as instructed. By the beginning of the second work week, workers will be expected to perform the work in a manner specified by the employer and described herein. After the one-week acclimation period, workers who fail to meet the standard and/or fail to perform the work in the manner specified may be terminated.

Blueberry Harvesting: Workers will move down assigned rows picking all ripe berries, placing them in buckets. Once full, each bucket weights approximately 6 lbs. When buckets are filled, the worker will immediately carry the bucket to the picking wagon. At the picking wagon, workers will dump each filled bucket into a lug where the worker will sort through the harvested berries and remove any berries that do not meet the company's quality/food safety standards. Each lug will then be inspected by the worker's supervisor. Each worker will receive credit for each harvested lug when the supervisor has inspected and approved the lug. Any lug not approved will be returned to the worker to be re-graded. Workers must pick a minimum of 24 pounds per hour.

Tobacco Harvesting: Duties include hoeing, weeding and pulling tobacco flower. One worker will operate the tobacco combine to move it down the rows as it harvests the tobacco. Workers will be topping, suckering and unloading the tobacco.

Vegetable Harvesting: Workers will move down assigned row and pick according to size, shape, color and maturity and place into bucket or field box, carefully so as not to bruise. Workers will be responsible for selecting produce according to criteria and discarding poor quality, rotting and/or over-ripened produce. When full, workers will carry bucket or field box and empty into field bin or load onto trailer and receive token or credit.

General Farm Labor: Some of the work required from the worker to be performed that is incidental to farming crops listed in this application may be described as performing hand cultivation duties, pruning, maintenance, cleaning, repairing seed beds and racks, setting up and moving irrigation pipes and equipment. (Continued on Addendum C)

Special Requirements

Workers must adhere to all safety rules as instructed by the supervisor. Employer is a drug-free workplace.