Farm Laborer

Job description

Strawberry plant cultivating and harvesting workers will perform the following duties:

Workers will be doing general farm labor; clean up duties including loading, weeding, removing blooms, moving irrigation pipes, venting, stacking hay, planting, and replanting, picking rocks, storing, etc. in the shed on the farm.

Workers may also drive tractors and forklifts, spray and mix chemicals and fertilizers, operate trucks to carry crops and farm equipment (on the farm) and perform general repair of ag equipment on farm. Workers with a valid driver license may also drive vans to help facilitate transportation on farm and in town.

Operate lawnmower, weed trimmer, chainsaw, and repair fencing in the shed on the farm.

Employees must follow the directions of their supervisors regarding work efficiency and quality—the packs produced by the crews must adhere to the quality standards of the shipper for which they are harvesting.

Workers may occasionally and/or sporadically perform duties associated with and directly related to the primary duties. Such work will be temporary and unsubstantial agricultural labor.

This activity constitutes secondary agricultural as defined by the FLSA, which states than an activity may constitute secondary agriculture only when those activities are performed by a farmer or on a farm as an incident to or in conjunction with such farming operations.

Workers may sort, trim, and bundle strawberry plants in field located on the farm to prepare plants for packing and shipment. Worker may also be assigned to fill a support role for harvest operations. Plant harvesting will be related to trimming including packing plants, close/stack boxes, clean-up functions, etc., on the farm.

Workers must kneel on ground at assigned area; takes harvested strawberry plants from ground; inspects and discards plants that do not meet specifications supervisor, taking care not to discard marketable plants; creates bundle of marketable plants, arranging so that all crowns are together, and all roots are aligned in the same direction; grasps root ends with other hand removing runners to create a bundle of exactly 25 marketable plants with a rubber band. Place completed bundle in box, employee must assemble boxes. Once boxes are complete, employee must place boxes along row ready for pickup and inspection.

Quality control may be performed, to ensure quality of plants packed.

Special Requirements

3 months of strawberry harvest experience. Specific requirements include lifting up to 50 pounds frequently and able to use hand tools, including cutting knives. Must be able to work under conditions where skin and clothing become heavily soiled with mud, water, grease, etc. Must be able to work outdoors in inclement weather conditions, including rain, cold, high winds, etc. Work involves frequent bending and working in bent or stooped positions. Must be able to walk and stand up extensively. No smoking, alcohol, firearms in the field or residential housing.