Farmworker

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
Nursery stock, ornamentals, specimen and evergreen trees, shrubs, perennials, flowers.
This job requires a minimum of 3 months of verifiable prior experience working in a tree and shrub nursery. Workers must be able to perform manual as well as mechanized activities with accuracy and efficiency. Workers will perform work including but not limited to planting, digging, mulching, transplanting, mowing, watering in nurseries and seasonal holding houses. Fertilize, prune, spray, space, water, tag and perform other plant maintenance. Count and inventory plants. Propagate plants from cuttings. Load finished plants onto wagons and trucks. Remove plastic from seasonal holding houses in spring and cover seasonal holding houses with plastic in fall. Assist with building seasonal holding houses. Plant and dig field grown plants, burlap roots, perform general maintenance of field grown plants. Fill, lift and carry various size pots with soil and plants. Plants must be handled carefully so that minimal leaves, limbs and roots are broken during transplanting process.

Manual tasks related to the growing of nursery stock will include some combination of the following: Prepare fields for planting by clearing cull stock, brush and debris; plant seedlings or ‘liners' by hand (including riding and inserting liners in a mechanical planter); hand dig, load, unload or transplant bare-root nursery stock; straighten, tie, prune and shear trees and shrubs; cut, pull or remove and mow weeds or grass; move irrigation equipment; spray herbicides and insecticides and apply fertilizer. While fertilizing, workers will be expected to pick up and carry 35 pounds of fertilizer and distribute it with a 4-ounce cup. Accurate visual calibration and proper placement of fertilizer is required.

Tasks related to harvest of nursery stock will include the following: Take inventory and grade plants, prepare trees and shrubs for digging by tying or wrapping as necessary; dig; wrap burlap or other covering around root balls and secure with twine and/or staples; crimp wire baskets; lift, carry and load nursery stock; and unload, move or load supplies, including wire baskets. Hand digging of ornamental evergreens and conifers up to 5-6' will be performed by 4-worker crews which will be expected to harvest between 40 and 45 plants per hour.

Most field work is performed in crews of from 3 to 6 workers who will be required to maintain the pace of the average crew member. Crew work may consist of hand hoeing around nursery stock. Weeds are to be removed by the root and not at ground level. Shearing conifers and evergreens must be performed with proper taper and angle of bud cut for quality.

Workers need to be able to drum lace ball and burlap trees and shrubs. Mechanized tree spade helpers will work as part of a crew comprised of one operator and 2 helpers. The helper will remove the tree from the tree spade, tighten the burlap in an acceptable manner, crimp wire basket around the root ball, lace top of ball with sisal twine and crimp basket to tighten twine. The employer expects tree spade crews to harvest between 18 and 40 trees per hour depending on size and variety.

Work will also include heavy mechanized field work using power equipment. By way of example and not limitation power equipment may include tree spades, power shears, chain saws, high lift and fork lift, and tractors. Workers will be expected to operate and maintain agricultural equipment with or without direction.

Work is to be done for long periods of time. 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. Workers should be able to work on their feet in bent positions for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of 3 months of verifiable prior experience working in a tree and shrub nursery. Workers must be able to perform manual as well as mechanized activities with accuracy and efficiency. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs.