Crew Leader / Farmworker

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
nursery stock.
First-line supervision and coordination of agricultural workers. Under the direction of farm management, assign tasks and monitor crop production operations. Train workers in techniques such as planting, cultivating, or harvesting and in use of safety measures. Train workers in safe equipment operation. Direct or assist with adjustment or repair of equipment or machinery. Take directions from managers on work schedules, production requirements, and conditions of equipment and supplies. Maintain details of personnel actions. Operate employer’s electronic time keeping system. First-line supervisors do not have direct hiring or firing authority, but may be asked by farm management to give warnings or take disciplinary action against works for safety or work rule violations.

GREENHOUSE AND GENERAL LABOR:

The worker will work in greenhouse facility planting, cultivating, harvesting, transplanting plants, spraying, weeding, fertilizing, trimming, and watering plants, using hand tools and gardening tools. The worker must understand greenhouse quality control standards and have working knowledge of production procedures. Must harvest crops according to specific standards. Plants must be handled carefully to prevent/avoid damage. The worker will work in the production facility on the assembly line placing inserts or pots into trays on the conveyors, sticking plant cutting into medium, fixing plants that are missing in trays. Tag or label plants or pots. Load trays on wagons from conveyors, accompany tractors and wagons to the field where the worker will unload wagons and lay trays in the bed in with uniform spacing. Workers may operate tractors, transplanters, flat filling equipment. Workers may take cuttings according to specifications. Stick cuttings and transplant liners by hand or mechanical planter. Pick up plants from the field for orders and load on to wagons, lay plants down for growing, move and space plants in the field. Pick plants from wagons by variety for orders on loading dock and load on to delivery racks. Move racks around dock as needed or push racks on to truck for delivery. Unload carts from returning trucks. Unload carts, pallets, boxes and supplies from trucks that are delivered to the farm. Perform cleaning and sanitation in production and dock areas as required. Perform bed preparation by cleaning, sweeping beds and putting down weed control before plants are put down. Perform general plant maintenance. Move, space, weed, trim, and cull plants. Workers will count, grade and inventory plants in beds. Workers may be required to dispose of unsaleable plants from time to time. Workers will go to the designated areas where unsaleable plants will be loaded onto wagons and sent to the disposal area. At the disposal area, workers may be assigned to separate plant material from plastic, and sort plastic for recycle or reuse. Plant material is accumulated there for decomposition. Plastic is accumulated and sorted for baling and recycling. On the loading dock, Workers will remove racks from trucks, unload plastic waste and sort accordingly. Workers will also be required to assemble racks for plants to be shipped on. Racks are custom built for each individual order and may vary in size. Workers may use powered tools or mallets in the assembly process. Workers may clean/maintain greenhouse buildings, structures, equipment, and work areas. And assist with greenhouse maintenance and repairs. Greenhouse workers will also assist in preparing the ground by leveling and removing old ground cover cloth and replacing with new cloth to place plants. Remove and apply shade cloth or plastic to greenhouses. Repair and install irrigation pipes and equipment. Worker may also apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other crop protectants.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of 6 months of agricultural experience working in a greenhouse overseeing crews handling mechanized and manual tasks. Crew supervisors are responsible for overseeing that farmworkers perform manual tasks with accuracy and efficiency. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 50 lbs. Employer-paid pre-employment and post-hire drug testing required. Criminal background check required.