Hand Harvesting Sweet Potatoes

Job description

General Farm Labor: Workers will walk along rows specified by the employer and remove weeds and grass from fields by hand or using a hoe. Prepare soil for planting and plant/transplant. Load and unload crops and materials. Perform farm, field, and shed sanitation duties. Mow grass and operate trimmer around farm buildings. Workers will perform assigned duties as instructed by their supervisor. May supervise other workers. May operate and perform minor maintenance on farm vehicles or equipment. May drive farm truck, bus, tractor, and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) on the farm. May drive bus or van over the road. Though not a hiring requirement, if a worker drives a company vehicle during the period of employment, then at the time of operating the company vehicle, the driver must possess a valid driver's license issued by a U.S. state or foreign equivalent and operate the company vehicle in accordance with the license restrictions and vehicle classifications applicable to that license. Prolonged walking, standing, bending, stooping, and reaching. The job is outdoors and continues in all types of weather. Workers may be requested to submit to random drug or alcohol tests at no cost to the worker. Failure to comply with the request or testing positive may result in immediate termination. All testing will occur post-hire and is not a part of the interview process. A negative result may be required post-hire and before commencing work. Must be able to lift 75 lbs. to shoulder height repetitively throughout the workday and able to lift and carry 75 lbs. in the field. Must not hinder another worker's productivity. Use of a personal cell phone or another personal electronic device during working hours is strictly prohibited except for work-related calls or emergencies, and violation may result in immediate termination. Requires one month of verifiable farmworker experience in the crop activities listed. Must commit to working the entire contract period.

Sweet potato harvest workers will walk along the row that has been previously plowed. Workers will stoop, bend and kneel to pick up sweet potatoes using their hands and fingers to dig out unexposed potatoes. Workers may grade in the field, separating #1’s and #2’s into separated 5/8 field hampers. Canners, when harvested, will be placed into a separate bin. Damaged or diseased potatoes will not be harvested. The worker will be required to stay on the assigned row. Full hampers weighing up to 45 lbs. will be carried to the truck row to be loaded onto the truck or trailer. Workers may be required to ride mechanical harvesters. Workers may be required to perform other duties as required by the employer. Hand-harvesting sweet potatoes will be paid at a piece rate. Mechanical harvest work, if any, will be paid hourly.

Special Requirements

Workers may be required to perform work that is incidental to farming the crops listed in the application. All other duties, if any are assigned, will be those duties of Farm Worker, Diversified Crops, DOT code 407.687-010 (SOC(ONET/OES) code 45-2092.02). This is a very demanding and competitive business in which quality specifications must be rigorously adhered to. Sloppy work cannot and will not be tolerated.