Field Worker

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
organic crops including but not limited to lettuce, onions, garlic, strawberries, kale, collards, lacinato, cabbage, summer squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, watermelon, sweet potatoes, winter squash, beets, turnips, broccoli, cauliflower.
Plant, cultivate and harvest organic fruits and vegetables. Plant roots, seeds, bulbs, and transplants. Spread plastic or other groundcovering. Clean plastic by hand from ground upon removal. Till soil. Weed and thin plants. Transplant plants by hand. Stake/tie plants, trellis/prune plants, and set poles and wires for vine plants. Pick, cut, lift, or pull crops. Tie vegetables in bunches. Grade, size and field pack product. Take care to prevent damaging produce and plants.

Install/maintain irrigation systems and water lines. Move and install irrigation pipes and equipment. 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, knives and saws. Lift, carry, and load/unload products or supplies. Use power equipment including but not limited to: tractors, planters, mowers, plows, sprayers, cultivators, power shears, chain saws, high lifts, fork lifts, skid loaders. Must operate agricultural equipment safely, with or without direction. Clear debris from field and clean/maintain farm buildings, structures, equipment, and work areas. Assist with farm building/field maintenance and repairs. Build/repair fences.

Grade and pack vegetables by hand or with mechanized packing equipment, including but not limited to bagging machines, bin feeding machines, box machines, labeling machines, regular and high stacking forklifts. Sort graded vegetables in appropriate containers
according to packing instructions. Deliver pallets of finished product to cold storage. Load/unload product. Prepare orders for shipping. Keep material and product records accurately. In the packshed, produce must be washed, graded, and packed according to quality and weight for storage and sale.

All field and packing shed work to be completed in accordance with the agricultural food safety and sanitation guidelines laid out by Spiral Path Farm, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and USDA. Workers will be trained in USDA Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification standards. Failure to abide by these standards will be grounds for dismissal.

Work is done in the field for long periods of time. Workers may assist in handling product weighing up to 60 pounds and lifting to a height of 6 feet. Workers must work on their feet in bent positions for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking. Work required in fields when plants are wet with dew and rain, and may be required during light rain, snow, moderate winds, direct sun, high humidity and extreme temperatures. Temperatures in fields during working hours can range from 10 to over 100 degrees F. Workers may be required to work during occasional showers not severe enough to stop field operations. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honey bees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related chemicals may affect a worker's ability to perform the job.

Supervisor(s) will provide instructions and directions to workers. Workers must be able to comprehend and follow instructions and communicate effectively to supervisors. Unusual, complex or non-routine activities will be supervised. Workers expected to perform basic duties in a timely and proficient manner without close supervision. Workers must obey all safety rules and basic instructions and be able to recognize, understand and comply with safety, pesticide warning/re-entry and other essential postings. Employer will instruct workers in the safety and operation of equipment before use.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of three months of prior experience working on a vegetable crop farm handling both manual and machine tasks associated with commodity production and harvest activities. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. 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.