Farm Worker

Job description

A. PRUNING (20%) Pruning and removing excess plant tissue using hedge shears, pruning shears, or mechanical hand pruners. Pruning may involve removing excess growth, diseased growth, or modifying growth. Modifying growth can also include tying plant growth to various types of trellising systems.
B. WEEDING (19.5%) Removal of noxious plant material from the ground using a hoe, rake, or shears, or removal by chemical means using a backpack sprayer or farm utility vehicle.
C. SPRAYING (0.5%) Operation of tractor with low-volume sprayer. Training will be provided. Spraying will be voluntary assignments after regular hours.
D. PICKING (45%) Picking strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes, blackberries, currants, gooseberries, and elderberries. Each fruit is removed by hand at the proper stage of ripeness, no more than three at a time. In the case of grapes, one cluster is removed at a time. Fruit is deposited in a tray which holds 3 pounds of fruit. The tray (a "flat") of fruit, which is secured in a wire picking stand, is carried down the row foot by foot. Approximately once per hour all fruit picked is transported to the cooling facility by farm utility vehicle where it is sorted and graded. Picking flats are disinfected and re-lined with disinfected picking tills.
D. ANIMAL HUSBANDRY (5%) Feeding of sheep and goats hay and grain after frost. Barns and stables cleaned of manure periodically.
E. GENERAL FARM ACTIVITIES(10%) Setting trellis posts, assisting in laying irrigation tubing and row cover, planting out new rows with a variety of plant material, and maintenance of farm appearance including traditional flower gardening, hand-weeding, hanging basket maintenance. Also haymaking assistance consisting of stacking bales on the wagon and then in the barn. Job may also include unloading farm supplies from trucks, loading farm market trucks, and assisting at farm markets. Workers may operate high lift; training will be provided before high lift operation

Hours include one 30-minute break daily during work hours.

Special Requirements

0.5 (1/2) month experience in picking small fruit. Frequent stooping and repetitive movements; lifting requirement of 60 lbs. All additional training specific to employer's crops will be provided by employer. All required tools and equipment will be provided by employer.

Note: Persons with severe allergy to bees should not apply.