Nursery Worker

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
Trees and Shrubs.
Weed fields. Perform ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, ground preparation, and other manual tasks. Bending, stooping and kneeling required. Use hand tools including but not limited to hoes, shovels, shears, clippers, loppers, and saws. Lift, carry, and load/unload products or supplies. Use power equipment including but not limited to: tractors, planters, mowers, plows, sprayers, cultivators, power shears, chain saws, high lifts, fork lifts, skid loaders. Must operate agricultural equipment safely, with or without direction. Install/maintain irrigation systems and water lines. Move and install irrigation pipes and equipment. Apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other crop protectants. Mix and apply fertilizers, plant growth chemicals, conditioners, and other plant related treatments at the correct times depending on plant type, growth, climate and crop conditions.

Plant, cultivate, harvest, cut, bale, pot, stake, and bamboo trees. Plant seedlings or ‘liners' by hand (including riding and inserting liners in a mechanical planter) using mattock or dibble. Prepare trees for digging by tying or wrapping as necessary. Hand dig trees with shovel or tree spade. Selects trees for cutting according to markings, size, species and grade. Cut trees using axe or chain saw. Drag cut trees from cutting area. Runs trees through tree baler. Inventory and grade trees. Must follow supervisor's instructions on pruning/shearing. Shear trees with proper taper and bud cut angle for quality.

Work is done in the field for long periods of time. Workers may assist in handling product weighing up to 60 pounds and lifting to a height of 5 feet. Workers must work on their feet in bent positions for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking.

Work required in fields when plants are wet with dew and rain, and may be required during light rain, snow, moderate winds, direct sun, high humidity and extreme temperatures. Temperatures in fields during working hours can range from 10 to over 100 degrees F. Workers may be required to work during occasional showers not severe enough to stop field operations. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honey bees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related chemicals may affect a worker's ability to perform the job.
Workers should be able to do the work required with or without reasonable accommodations.

Must successfully complete and pass a pesticide training course.

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-paid post-hire random, upon suspicion, and post-accident drug testing required. Employer requires all newly hired employees to take and pass an employer-paid background check. All background checks are conducted uniformly after an initial job offer has been extended and accepted by the new hire. Applicants found to have felony convictions (including, but not limited to assault, child molestation, sex or drug-related convictions) will be immediately terminated out of concern for general public safety, and paid for all hours worked between the first date of employment and the date of termination, if any. In the case of a foreign worker who is terminated for cause resulting from findings of the background check, the employer will arrange least-cost transportation to the worker's place of recruitment, at the worker's expense.

Workers with a clean driving record (no major moving violations such as but not limited to Driving While Intoxicated or Reckless Driving) and able to obtain an insurable driver's license may be required to drive company vehicles.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of 3 months of verifiable commercial agricultural field work experience, preferably working in a commercial tree and shrub farm or vegetable farm handling both manual and mechanized tasks including ball and burlap field harvesting associated with production of trees and shrubs. Applicants must be able to furnish verifiable job reference(s) or comparable third party documentation from recent employer(s) establishing acceptable prior experience. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs. Employer-paid post-hire random, upon suspicion, and post-accident drug testing required. Employer-paid post-hire background check required.