Agricultural Equipment Operators

Acerca del empleo

Plant, cultivate, harvest, grade, sort and pack sweet potatoes, soybeans and corn by hand or machine, (70% equipment operation). Operate tractors, tractor-drawn machinery, and self-propelled machinery (including variations such as: hipper, disc dual, chisel plow, potato transplanter, bush hog, grain buggy and skid steer) to plow, harrow, fertilize, apply chemicals, plant, cultivate, or harvest crops. Operate, repair, and maintain farm vehicles, implements and equipment. Operate RTK guidance and green star systems in farm vehicles, implements and equipment. Workers that have or obtain required license/documentation may haul crops. Use hand tools such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers and knives. Apply fertilizers, propagate, transplant, weed, and thin. Bed sweet potatoes into the dirt and place plastic paper over the beds. Use shovels to shovel dirt onto the beds that are covered with plastic. Remove paper from the beds and put a remake paper over the beds. After the potato plants sprout and come through the ground, cut the plants with a butcher knife. Place the plants into plastic crates. Load crates of slips onto a flatbed trailer. Ride a transplanter to transplant plants. Manually feed the potato plants into the fingers on the transplanter that places the plant into the ground and covers the root of the plant with dirt. Walk behind the transplanter and plant slips by hand using a stick. Ride a potato digger or harvester and pick up potatoes off of a chain, sort them, and place them into boxes on the digger while harvesting. Harvesting may also be done by hand in 40 lb. buckets. Clean, pack and load harvested products. Wash and pack potatoes into boxes for shipping. Remove completed or defective products and place them on conveyors or in specified areas such as loading docks. Seal containers using glue, string, nails and hand tools. Load materials and products into package processing equipment. Use hand tools to assemble, line, and pad cartons, crates and containers. Pull and/or hoe grass and weeds from the fields. Repair fences and farm buildings. Repair and build wooden potato bins that are used for storage. Work requires bending and lifting from the ground. Work will continue during wet periods while the fields are too muddy for the harvesting with tractors. Clean and maintain containers, materials, supplies, greenhouses and work areas. Participate in irrigation activities. Set up, operate and repair irrigation systems. Perform quality control on inbound/outbound loads. Follow quality control standards. Assist with all Good Agricultural Practices policies.

Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honey bees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related chemicals may affect a worker’s ability to perform the job. Persons seeking employment in this position must be available for the entire period requested by the employer. Employer reserves the right to discharge an obviously unqualified worker, malingerer or recalcitrant worker who is physically able but is unwilling to perform the work necessary for the employer to grow a premium quality product, or for any other lawful reason.

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 should expect occasional periods of little or no work because of weather, crop or other conditions beyond the employer's control. These periods can occur anytime throughout the season. Workers may be assigned a variety of duties in any given day and different tasks on different days.

TERMINATION. All workers will be subject to a two day introductory period, during which the employer will evaluate workers' performance of required tasks.

Requerimientos

Three months operating agricultural equipment experience required. Perform prolonged bending, stooping, reaching, walking, sitting, lifting, and carrying of 40 lbs. Perform work in extremely hot, cold, wet and muddy conditions. Must be 18 years of age or older.