Honey Harvester/processor

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
Honey.
Primary job duty is to harvest/extract honey. Operate extracting machinery to remove wax cappings and extract honey from comb. Fill drums with extracted honey. Weigh and record drums.

Workers required to follow common sanitary practices at all times to preserve quality and maintain food safety standards. Workers required to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after using the bathroom and before begining harvest activities.

Rebox and prepare combs for next harvest. Make, repair, paint and clean boxes and equipment as required. Use hammers, hive tools and other hand tools to perform manual tasks. General maintenance and servicing of equipment and facility.

May work in other aspects of commercial bee keeping, including accessing a colony to determine if it needs food or medicine, feeding and medicating bees, maintaining hives in a healthy state. Must respond correctly to bees to harmonize with their natural cycle and keep them in the healthiest state possible for survival and profitability.

Work is to be done for long periods of time. Workers are expected to perform duties including boxing, weighing and loading of product. Workers may assist in loading trucks with product weighing up to 60 pounds and lifting to a height of 5 feet. Workers should be able to work on their feet in bent positions for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, insect spray, related chemicals, etc. may affect workers' ability to perform the job. Workers must have no fear of bees and be non-allergic to bee stings, pollen, honey or other products of the hive. Workers are exposed to wet weather early in the morning through the heat of the day. Temperatures may range from 10 to 100 F. Workers may be required to work during occasional showers not severe enough to stop operations.

Workers may not report for work while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The possession or use of illegal drugs or alcohol on Company property is prohibited and will be cause for immediate termination.

Persons seeking employment as experienced honey harvester/processor must be available for the entire period requested by the employer.
An applicant for this job must be available to work for the entire itinerary. An applicant referred to the employer after the labor certification has been granted, but before 50 percent of the work contract period for the entire itinerary has elapsed, must be available and willing to join the employer at whatever place the employer is located at the time and remain with the employer for the duration of the itinerary.
Employer may request, but not require, workers to work more than the stated daily hours and/or on a worker's Sabbath or federal holidays. Worker must report to work at designated time and place each day. Daily or weekly work schedule may vary due to weather, sunlight, temperature, crop conditions, and other factors. Employer will notify workers of any change to start time. Workers will have an unpaid lunch break.

TERMINATION. All workers will be subject to a five-day trial period, during which the employer will evaluate workers' performance of required tasks. Employer reserves the right to terminate a worker at the conclusion of the trial period if the worker's performance fails to satisfy the employer's reasonable expectations, or is otherwise unacceptable. Employer may terminate a worker for lawful job-related reasons, including but not limited to situations in which the worker: (1) Is repeatedly absent or tardy; (2) malingers or otherwise refuses, without cause, to perform the work as directed; (3) commits act(s) of misconduct or repeatedly violates the Work Rules; and/or (4) fails, after completing the trial period, to perform work in a competent and skillful manner, consistent with the employer's reasonable expectations.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of three months of prior experience working on a honeybee farm handling both manual and machine tasks associated with beekeeping. 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. Workers must have no fear of bees and be non-allergic to bee stings, pollen, honey or other products of the hive. Must speak/understand Spanish in order to communicate with work crews.