Farmworker/laborer

Job description

FARM LABORER:
Planting/ Field Preparation: Worker will engage in mechanical and hand planting. When hand planting, worker will use a shovel to make a hole in the ground and prepare the field for planting as instructed by supervisor. Workers will prepare the field for mechanical planting as instructed by supervisor. Workers will engage in general tillage work, including but not limited to driving a tractor, digging, plowing and hoeing. Worker will drive instructed tractor and plant mechanically as directed by supervisor.

Plastic Removal: Workers will remove plastic and conduct field clean-up activities at end of season.

Pruning: Pruning numerous varieties of apple trees according to established company procedures based on difference in treatment of different varieties. Worker performs pruning on trees for long periods of time using variety of pruning equipment including hand shears, hand loppers, hand saws, and 12-foot ladders. Pruning and thinning may be done from ground or up to 12 feet ladder. Worker may be required to selectively prune only certain size and color trees as instructed by Employer. Worker must possess or acquire pruning skills in order to identify and remove stubs or broken branches, downward-growing branches, branches which rub against each other, shaded interior branches, dead wood and shoots/suckers with hand pruning saws and clippers.

Thinning: Thinning is a manual process used to control the size and quality of grown fruit. Worker must possess ability to pick up and handle 10-foot orchard ladder weighing 40 pounds. Worker removes smallest fruit blossom, bud and/or identifiable fruit from within fruit cluster. Worker identifies and removes misshapen, damaged and/or other not quality fruit as directed by Employer.
Tractor and Forklift Operator: Worker may be required to safely operate farm tractor and forklift in the field and in and around farm buildings and farm property as necessary and directed by Employer. Employer will provide additional training for this task.

Vehicle Driving: If worker is eligible to drive under Michigan law and provides proof of no infractions from official source, Employer may require worker to safely drive in Employer-provided vehicle to and from the worksite and to locations within 50 miles as directed. To be eligible for driving job, worker must understand and agree to driving rules, as outlined in work rules below, and must receive an FLC-E Certificate.

Other Farm Laborer Job Specifications include:
1. Worker cares for trees during growing process and recognizes tree disease such as of blighted branches in apples.

2. Worker completes harvest preparation including spreading liners in bins, rolling bins into blocks by hand.

3. Worker repairs sprinklers and maintains irrigation system as needed.

4. Worker completes farm clean up tasks to include picking up garbage around orchard, removing old string and wire from trellis and orchard/field blocks, and other hand tasks.

5. Worker completes general maintenance of orchards and fields such as picking up and removing rocks, hoeing, weeding.

6. Worker will clean five-gallon buckets prior to and directly after their use for harvesting zucchini.

7. Worker will place soap bars on young trees.

8. Complete hoeing tasks.

9. Worker prunes, trains and positions apple trees to trellis, including clipping and tying limbs and shoots to wire from ground or ladder.

10. Worker cares for young non-producing fruit trees including weeding, trunk painting and hand fertilizing.
Pay will be hourly.

Special Requirements

Job requires worker to complete tasks in general farm labor, orchard and field maintenance and hand harvest of apples, Christmas trees and zucchini.

Experience Requirement: Two verifiable months of commercial tree fruit hand harvest or commercial vegetable hand harvest required. Applicants must furnish job references from recent employer within the last 5 years establishing acceptable prior experience.

Drug testing done at Employer's expense not utilized as a preemployment tool.

Season Commitment: Job offered requires worker be available for and worker agrees to work every day that work is available for entire employment period.