Field Workers: Romaine Lettuce, Green Leaf, Lettuce, Cabbage

Job description

All duties are performed on the farm.

Field Workers (Romaine Lettuce, Green Leaf, Lettuce, Cabbage) to perform the following duties:

In the field: Workers will cut, wash, bag, seal, pack and load boxes, crates and or bins of Romaine (including hearts) - bagged and boxed; Green Leaf Lettuce, and Cabbage. Drive tractors and machines for harvest. Workers wash product when on tables or conveyor belt once cut. Workers load and tie product on field trailers pulled by tractors. May work as Crew Leader Helper to assist Foreman/Crew Leader with production.

Green Leaf, Lettuce, Cabbage, and Romaine Harvest

Cutting is done by walking in uneven furrows in front of the harvesting platform machine. Workers determine size and quality of the product to be harvested. Then, using a harvesting hand knife and bending at the waist, the worker cuts the lettuce at the roots and trims excess, damaged, or quality compromising leaves, further examining for any defect prior to being placed on the packing table. If needed, worker will discard rotting and over-ripped lettuces.
The packer further examines the product for any defect prior to either or combination of; spot wash, apply a clip, sort, bag, seal and pack and place in a pack style or carton. Selects the correct box for the pack style required, and marks the carton with a colored crayon of the crew designation, used to indicate the pack style, and the personal packer identification number. The finished product is then inspected and placed per specification into the carton up to the correct count, closes the carton and then pushes the carton onto a conveyor that transports the carton to box maker. Bagging, sealing and packing may involve multiple pack styles at once.
The box maker constructs cartons and assembling plastic totes for product by unfolding and bending the material as designed to form a box while inspecting that packaging material is free of contaminants and undamaged. The process is repeated. Ensures boxes are properly closed and places corresponding tracking labels on boxes. Carries carton bundles and transfers finished cartons or totes to the loader for palletization. Ensures packers have adequate supply throughout the day and work area is clean. When needed, may assist loader with stacking boxes or securing loads and/or cutting until enough product has been harvested.

The loader loads and stacks finished boxes onto pallets on the deck of the harvester or trailer, separating pallets by the corresponding box sizes and ensuring the weight is properly distributed and the trace back sticker is facing outward. Ensures load is properly secured with V-boards, corner boards and/or straps once the load reaches the correct number of cartons required before transfer to the trailer for transport to the cooler. Cartons or totes with product can weigh up to 60 lbs. Pallets can weigh up to 75 lbs. and are handled by the tractor driver and/or machine operator.

See Addendum C.

Special Requirements

Two months of experience in harvesting vegetables. Cannot be color blind due to the need to distinguish colors of crops for proper ripeness and maturity, no smoking, illegal drugs, alcohol, or weapons of any sort in the housing or work fields. Ability to communicate in English or Spanish is required for training and safety purposes. Work is performed outdoors in open fields and can involve exposure to sun, wind, mud, dust, heat, cold and other elements of the normal field environment. Temperatures can range from 50 degrees F to over 90 degrees F during the period of employment. Workers should come prepared with appropriate clothing and footwear for the work and working conditions described.

See Addendum C.