Vineyard/livestock Worker

Job description

All duties are closely and directly related to the production of wine grapes and livestock. The work activities will be equally split between the enterprises of wine grape and sheep production.
Perform any combination of the following tasks required in equipment operation, farm work and the production of wine grapes. Fruit thinning, leafing, suckering, hoeing, leafing pruning; install wire mesh & trellis; harvesting; tractor driving; clean-up, spraying and other related viticulture operations; use a knife to cut grape bunches off of grape vines and into a tub (also called a lug), dump tub/lug into a bin/gondola; may drive a tractor directly in connection with picking grapes; assist with weed control and property maintenance, leafing picking, crop thinning, tally sheet recording, and picking with a machine harvester; Assisting in the production, planting and maintenance of vineyards, which involves preparing the soil, erecting trellis, and irrigation equipment, pruning, and training vines, and controlling pests/diseases with regular spraying.

Administer medication as needed; apply herbicides to noxious, invasive and poisonous plant species on grazing areas; assist in the maintenance of tools, equipment and handling facilities necessary to production; assist in the shearing of sheep by herding sheep into corrals and through the shearing plant; assist with castration of livestock; assist with hauling water when drought conditions eliminate natural sources of water for livestock; assist with hoof trimming to reduce the occurrence of discomfort and disease; assist with loading trucks with lambs and/or ewes for transportation; assist with semen testing breeding males, assist with sorting and cutting of culls; assist with tagging sheep when the shearing crew needs it; assist with the artificial insemination of livestock by herding into corrals, observing estrus, keeping records and running through working chutes; feed and water and ensure adequate provision of both; feed supplemental rations to sheep
when available forage is not sufficient to increase the plane of nutrition; feed, water and tend to the dogs (both guard and working dogs) and horses; lift and stack bales of hay and sacks of grain and mineral onto a feed truck or wagon; monitor and treat sheep for internal and external parasites; monitor young for diseases, thrift and weight gain; set up, tear down and move temporary electric fence used to contain livestock in a specific area; use proper animal husbandry skills to prevent heat stress/hypothermia/abortion/death; walk pens and check feed and water levels; assist feed mill operators with mixing feed and delivering to feed bunks; tending to sick animals in the hospital pen; preventative maintenance on equipment such as grease and oil checks; counting and loading lambs onto trailers to send off to packing plant.

Special Requirements

Required to: spray pastures and/or fence lines for poisonous plants and/or noxious weeds with herbicides to prevent livestock from consuming them, to maintain equipment and machinery to a standard established by the employer, to operate equipment and machinery required to perform job duties indicated in a safe and responsible manner, work with and around farm machinery such as tractors, UTVs and ATVs for supplemental feeding purposes and movement of livestock, perform tasks capably and efficiently without close supervision, work outdoors in all types of weather and may experience occasional exposure to hazards such as poisonous snakes, biting insects and extreme temperature, handle animals using low stress handling methods, work as part of a team when needed, work with, build and maintain both set field fence and temporary electric fence.