Farm Worker

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
Avocados.
Plant, cultivate, and harvest tree fruit. Size and/or strip pick fruit based on seasonal need. Harvest fruit on steep terrain from trees using 32 – 40 foot ladder, clippers and/or 12 foot picking poles. Fill picking bags and place fruit in bins. Follow supervisor/foreman's instructions on color/size requirements. Must be able to differentiate between colors and fruit varieties accurately. Hand thin to control the size and quality of fruit. Hand prune based on fruit variety. Use manual and mechanized pruning tools and equipment. Identify and remove stubs or broken branches, downward-growing branches, branches rubbing against each other, shaded interior branches, dead wood and shoots-suckers.

Workers injured on the job and unable to perform the full range of duties may be offered light duty, if available. Light duty tasks may vary depending on availability of task, nature of worker's injury, and instructions from worker's physician. Light duty tasks may include blight checking, fruit checking/quality control, light picking/pruning/thinning/sorting, or tree counting.

Install/maintain irrigation systems and water lines. Move and install irrigation pipes and equipment. Dig and maintain ditches. Install and remove levee gates.

Apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other crop protectants. Apply fertilizers, plant growth chemicals, conditioners, and other plant related treatments at the correct times depending on plant type, growth, climate and crop conditions.

Workers must operate all equipment properly and in a manner that protects operator, others, the employer's products and property. Failure to comply with safety requirements and operating instructions may result in disciplinary action up to and including immediate termination.

Workers may operate farm machinery, equipment and vehicles. Workers will be instructed in the safety and operation of the equipment before driving the equipment. Workers will be expected to be able to operate equipment, with or without direction, in a manner that protects the operator, visitors, other employees, crops, facilities and equipment. Employee may drive Cal Van over the road. Employee may pick up workers from different housing sites/pick up points and take them to an assigned work site and at the end of the day take them back to the housing site/pick up point. In order to drive a Cal Van, employees must possess valid driver's license (state issued) and must be able to pass Class B Physical exam and register as an FLCE driver. The employer will be responsible for the cost of the California Driver's License, Class B Physical Exam, and registration as an FLCE driver (if any). All employees in this position (H-2A as well as corresponding domestic workers), will be given the opportunity to obtain a driver's license (DL) and register as an FLCE driver on a voluntary basis. The DL and FLCE Certificate are not a pre-hire job requirement. No job applicant will be denied an employment opportunity due to a lack of a DL or FLCE Certificate at the time of application and/or hiring. Further, no worker (H-2A or corresponding domestic worker) will be terminated for failure to obtain a DL or FLCE Certificate.

Mow, cut, and 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. Assist with farm building/field maintenance and repairs. Build/repair fences.

Must wear assigned personal protective equipment when required. Must report for work daily wearing work clothing and boots or other durable foot wear. Workers wearing clothing inappropriate for work will not be permitted to start work.

Saturday work may be required, if necessary. Regular work hours will be 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of 3 months of agricultural field work experience working in a fruit farm handling both manual and mechanized tasks. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. Saturday work may be required, if necessary. Must be able to lift/carry 100 lbs. Employer-paid post-hire drug testing required.