Nursery Worker

Job description

Crops/Commodities: succulents, cacti, annuals, perennials, and various other plants
Plants, cultivates and maintains in condition for shipping and resale to customers nursery stock. Pots seedlings, prunes, spaces, irrigates and culls plants to ensure availability of marketable products. Packs, labels, pulls and stores plants according to variety. Loads/unloads truck and wagons. Workers will perform work including but not limited to planting, transplanting, watering in nurseries and seasonal holding houses. Count and inventory plants. Propagate plants from cuttings. Remove plastic from seasonal holding houses in spring and cover seasonal holding houses with plastic in fall. Assist with building seasonal holding houses. Fill, lift and carry various size pots with soil and plants weighing as much as 60 pounds. Plants must be handled carefully so that minimal leaves, limbs and roots are broken during transplanting process. Performs any other duties involved in the maintenance of plant materials and nursery stock and maintenance of holding yards and shipping areas.

Work is to be done for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking. Workers are expected to perform duties including boxing, weighing and loading of product. Workers will assist in loading trucks with packaged product weighing up to and including 60 pounds and lifting to a height of 5 feet for long periods of time.

Supervisor(s) will provide instructions and directions to workers. Workers must be able to comprehend and follow instructions and communicate effectively to supervisors. Unusual, complex or non-routine activities will be supervised. Workers expected to perform basic duties in a timely and proficient manner without close supervision. Employer will instruct workers in the safety and operation of equipment before use. Workers must operate equipment in a manner that protects operator, visitors, other workers, products, trees, crops and equipment. Failure to comply with safety requirements and operating instructions may result in termination.

Must wear assigned personal protective equipment when required. Must report for work daily wearing work clothing and boots or other durable foot wear. Must wear proper protective footwear that is closed-toe in nature with a non-slip sole, such as work boots or trail-type shoes. Shorts, bathing suits or other casual clothing not permitted. Workers wearing clothing inappropriate for work will not be permitted to start work.

Employer-paid post-hire drug and alcohol testing is required upon reasonable suspicion of use. Workers may not report for work while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Except for moderate alcohol consumption in company housing during non-working hours, the possession or use of illegal drugs or alcohol on company premises is prohibited and will be cause for termination.

Tobacco use strictly prohibited on company property except for specifically designated areas. No smoking, vaping or tobacco use of any kind permitted in the fields, company vehicles, worker housing, or on company premises. This is necessary to protect against transmission of toxins and contamination from tobacco by-products. Employer reserves the right to discharge any employee found using any type of tobacco product in unauthorized areas.

Work may also include mechanized work using power equipment. Workers will be expected to be able to operate agricultural equipment with or without direction.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of three months of prior agricultural experience working in a nursery, green house or crop farm handling both manual and machine tasks associated with commodity production and harvest activities. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. Workers must be able to perform manual and mechanized tasks with accuracy and efficiency. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs. Employer-paid post-hire drug and alcohol testing is required upon reasonable suspicion of use. Workers that live in employer-provided housing must have or agree to receive a COVID-19 vaccination in accordance with company policy set forth in the Job Order.