Farm Labor

Job description

The nursery position includes the duties associated with the maintenance, production, and packing of nursery stock. Specifically: pruning, planting, harvesting, spraying and packing of nursery stock. This work can require standing, walking, stooping, bending, lifting plant material, pushing and pulling of shipping racks, lifting and moving shipping rack shelves, lifting hard good materials, dragging hoses, sweeping, cutting, and lifting up to 50 pounds for long periods of time outdoors in all weather conditions. Workers in winter months will be required to cover and uncover beds with frost protection cloth when temperatures reach freezing temps or below or when there is a chance for frost as this will cause damage to crops and delay finish ready weeks. It also includes making important decisions based on size and coloring according to prescribed standards.

This work requires adherence to important safety and quality standard operating procedures and the ability to work quickly and consistently alongside fellow workers with a positive, professional, team-based attitude and a consideration for the safety and health of fellow workers and of the consumers who will purchase nursery stock, harvested, packed, and shipped from the farm.

The farm labor position includes the planting, growing, maintenance, and packing of plant material. All workers are required to adhere to important safety, quality and production standards alongside fellow workers with a positive, professional, team-based attitude and a consideration for the safety and health of fellow workers.

Primary Responsibilities include:

Accurately and quickly planting young plant material (plugs or liners) while on potting line conveyor

Accurately and quickly pruning plant material to designated specifications

Applying cares tags and bar codes

Assembling, disassembling and/or repairing shipping racks for use or storage

Assembling and/or moving plant material on shipping trays

Applying fertilizer

Unloading trucks and rearranging racks with or without plant material

Pulling, loading, offloading and/or consolidating plant material (plants, plugs or liners) to/from field or production barn as needed and according to job orders and instructions

Repairing and maintaining production and non-production areas such as ground cover repair, grass trimming and weeding at times using mower or gas-powered trimmers

Re-spacing, spreading, consolidating or dumping plant material according to task/job orders

Executing task work orders and documenting quantities and the status of completion

Performing general housekeeping duties such as sweeping, mopping, and picking up trash or debris around the farm

Weeding plant material

Identifying and reporting plant quality issues including removing debris, dirt or poor-quality foliage prior to shipping

Operating or working on production line using soil mixers, flat fillers, conveyors, and potting machines

Replacing plant containers as needed prior to shipping

Placing lot tags in production lots

Pruning or trimming plants as instructed by a grower using pruning shears, scissors, or mechanical trimming equipment

Operating a forklift, farm tractor, golf cart and/or electric tug