Farm Workers And Laborers, Crop

Job description

Nursery:
Duties to include, but not limited to: Perform any combination of the following duties concerned with preparing soil and growth media, cultivating and otherwise participating in horticulture activities. Hauls and spreads topsoil, fertilizer, etc to condition land. Dig, rake and screen soil and fill cold frame and hot beds to prepare them for planting. Plant, spray, weed and water plants, shrubs and trees. Ties, bunches, wraps and pack flowers, plants and shrubs to fill orders. Load trucks for marketing. Work on potting line transplanting seedlings into selling containers and place in growing area. Assist with delivery of product to customer. Maintenance on farm equipment required in operation. Assist in set-up of product for sale of crop.

Job tasks include: planting, hoeing, weeding, staking, watering, mowing, spraying, seeding, fertilizing, digging and burlaping trees, tilling, possibly driving a tractor or operating a skid loader and all other tasks that are directly related to the growing and harvesting of field grown nursery stock and general farm work. Job also includes repetitive moving of heavy nursery plants, loading and unloading trucks without assistance and exposure to all weather conditions. Loading and unloading: Workers may be required to work on flat bed trailers tying B&B trees to the trailer with twine in addition to tarping the trailer. Workers may be required to work loading or unloading bare root trees by hand as well as planting these in the field using a transplanter.

Alternative Work;
General farm maintenance and other duties as required in the farming operation maintenance. Includes, but not limited to, preparing barns, draining fields, preparing land for planting, maintenance of tools & equipment, and other work as directly related to the crop activities for which the worker is hired. Also includes fixing, clearing, and painting of fences / barns. Such work will be offered when climate or crop conditions preclude working in the primary activities listed above.

General Conditions:
A normal work week is Monday through Friday from 08:00 a.m. to 04:00 p.m and Saturday 07:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. If work is available beyond normal workdays, employer may offer, but not require, worker an opportunity to work additional hours. Workers will report to work at designated time and place as directed by assigned employer each day. However, workers may be requested to ten (10) hours per day depending on the conditions in the fields and the maturity of the crops. Also, workers may be requested to work on federal holidays and their Sabbath but will not be required to do so. Workers may volunteer to work additional hours when work is available.

Down 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 any time throughout the season. Worker may be required to work in fields when crops are wet with dew / rain and should have suitable clothing for conditions which include light rain and temperatures ranging from 10 degrees to more than 100 degrees. Workers should be able to stand, bend, stoop and work for prolonged periods of time and be physically fit to perform duties as assigned. Workers will be trained for period of two (2) days (14 hours) after which workers will be expected to perform job required. Care must be exercised at all times to prevent bruising or breaking crops. Care must also be exercised with any use of equipment.

All tools and equipment used to perform the various jobs will be provided. Workers will be instructed in the safety and operation of the tractor and other equipment before driving tractor or using other equipment. Tractors should be driven in a manner to protect operator, other workers, products, trees, crops, and equipment. Repeated failure to obey safety requirements and operating instructions may result in termination.

Special Requirements

Physically able to bend, stoop, and able to stand on feet for long periods of time. Physically able to meet and perform all job specifications. May be required to take random drug and / or alcohol tests, at no cost to the worker. Testing positive or failure to comply may result in immediate termination from employment. All testing and background check will occur after employment has started and is not a part of the interview process. May be required to submit a criminal background check, at no cost to the worker. Felony convictions that employer reasonably believes, consistent with current law, will impair the safety and living conditions of other workers or other individuals on the farm will result in immediate termination. Failure to comply with request for criminal background check may result in immediate termination of employment.