Nursery Worker

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
nursery stock - trees.
Workers will perform work including but not limited to planting, digging, transplanting, mowing, watering in nurseries. Fertilize, prune, spray, space, water, tag and perform other plant maintenance. Load finished plants onto wagons and trucks. Plant and dig field grown plants, burlap roots, perform general maintenance of field grown plants. Plants must be handled carefully to ensure that minimal leaves, limbs and roots are broken during transplanting process.

Balled and burlap (B & B) tree production: Workers will be required to work as operators of skid steers with tree spade attachments or haul out trees. Workers may be required to work on the ground packaging the finished root ball on a tree by stapling burlap with hog ring pliers, tying basket loops with twine, crimping baskets with pig tail crimpers or tying branches with twine.

Bare root production: Workers will be required to work as operators of skid steers with bare root blade attachments. Workers will be required to work on the ground tying branches with twine or hauling trees through the field and loading them onto trucks by hand or machine.

Loading and Unloading: Workers will be required to work on flat bed trailers, tying B & B trees to the trailer with twine. Workers will be required to work loading or unloading bare root trees by hand or machine into trailers.

Work is to be done in the field for long periods of time. Workers are expected to perform duties including packaging, 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. Workers should be able to work on their feet for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, insect spray, related chemicals, etc. may affect workers' ability to perform the job. Workers are exposed to wet weather early in the morning through the heat of the day, working in fields. Temperatures may range from 10 to 100 F. Workers may be required to work during occasional showers not severe enough to stop field operations. Workers should be physically able to do the work required with or without reasonable accommodations.

In addition, workers may be required to perform variable tasks such as the following: irrigation, ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, ground preparation, weeding, mowing, weedeating, and other tasks related to a nursery operation.

Work will also include mechanized field work using power equipment, including 50+ HP nursery equipment. By way of example and not limitation, power equipment may include tractors, planters, sprayers, cultivators, skid loaders, tree spades, ball handlers, weed eaters, chainsaws, and other equipment. Workers will be expected to be able to operate agricultural equipment with or without direction.

Workers will drive/operate tractors, mowers, as well as 50+HP nursery equipment. Workers will be instructed in safety and operation of the tractor and other equipment before driving tractor or using other field nursery 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.

Persons seeking employment as a Nursery Worker must be available for the entire period requested by the employer.

Employer may request, but not require, workers to work more than the stated daily hours and/or on a worker's Sabbath or federal holidays. Worker must report to work at designated time and place each day. Daily or weekly work schedule may vary due to weather, sunlight, temperature, crop conditions, and other factors. Employer will notify workers of any change to start time. Workers will have an unpaid lunch break.

TERMINATION.

Special Requirements

Jobs offered are working in a balled and burlap tree nursery, including specifically the operation of 50+ HP nursery equipment, handling both manual and machine tasks associated with nursery production. Workers must be able to perform manual as well as mechanized activities with accuracy and efficiency. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs. Must be able to operate 50+ HP nursery equipment.