Farm Laborers: Strawberry Plant Trimmers: Trim Shed

Job description

Strawberry plant trimmers and Trim Shed Workers will perform the following duties:

“All packing is performed in the field and shed which are on the farm for all job duties specified herein”

Workers will sort, trim, and bundle strawberry plants in trimming shed located on the farm to prepare plants for packing and shipment. Worker may also be assigned to fill a support role for trim operations during harvest in the shed on the farm. This role would be directly related to trimming including packing plants, close/stack boxes, clean-up functions, etc., in the shed on the farm. Worker stands at assigned station at trim table; takes harvested strawberry plants from pile on table; inspects and discards plants that do not meet specifications of trim shed supervisor, taking care not to discard marketable plants; creates “hand” of marketable plants, arranged so that all crowns are together, and all roots are aligned in the same direction; grasps root ends with other hand and passes roots over sickle blade on table to trim roots to uniform length; grasps stem end and passes stem end over sickle blade to trim stem end to uniform length; places “hand” of plants on table; repeats process to create a bundle of exactly 100 marketable plants, uniformly trimmed, bundled with crowns together, and roots aligned in same direction in the shed on the farm. Lays completed bundle on table to be removed by packer in the shed on the farm. Workers will use a trim knife that is attached to the trim table for cutting in the shed on the farm.

Workers may also drive tractors and forklifts.

Workers may occasionally and/or sporadically perform duties associated with and directly related to the primary duties. Such work will be temporary and unsubstantial agricultural labor.

Special Requirements

Requirements: 1 month of strawberry experience, trimming, sorting and bunching strawberry plants. Cannot be color blind due to the need to distinguish colors of crops for proper ripeness and maturity, able to use shears, clippers and other agricultural tools, no smoking, illegal drugs, alcohol, or weapons of any sort in the housing or work fields. Ability to communicate in English or Spanish is required for training and safety purposes. Work is performed outdoors in open fields and can involve exposure to sun, wind, mud, dust, heat, cold and other elements of the normal field environment. Temperatures can range from 20 degrees F to over 100 degrees F during the period of employment. Workers should come prepared with appropriate clothing and footwear for the work and working conditions described.