Nursery Worker

Number of Workers Requested:  23

Crops/Commodities: Potted Evergreens, Broadleaf Evergreens, Deciduous Shrubs. This job requires a minimum of three months of prior experience working in a container-grown nursery operation, handling both manual and machine tasks associated with nursery production and harvest activities. Workers must be able to perform manual as well as mechanized activities with accuracy and efficiency. Workers will be required to perform any of the following jobs, all of which are performed outside: Flowering Trees & Shrubs: Workers will be working with flowering trees and shrubs. Workers will plant, cultivate, harvest, propagate, grade, store and ship container grown horticultural products. Workers will take cuttings from trees and shrubs, place in containers pre-filled with dirt and transplant seedlings to prepared areas. Pruning: When pruning, it is vital to prune the unwanted branch while protecting the stem or trunk wood of the tree. While pruning trees, workers will receive proper tools for the particular job, i.e., saw, pruners and hand snips. The supervisor will set a standard or pattern for each job and will demonstrate and communicate this to workers. Workers will be assigned rows of trees and must prune each tree according to the predetermined standard. Workers must remove all resulting material from the trees rendered form performing pruning tasks. When pruning is complete on each tree, each worker is required to rake and scatter the resulting brush in the center of the tractor/equipment rows. Loading and Unloading: Workers may be required to work on flat bed trailers loading/unloading product. Cultivation: Workers may be required to work as operators of small tractors pulling wagons and skid steers. General Duties: Duties performed in the field may include preparing soil, planting, pruning, cutting, deadheading, pinching, trimming to shape, spacing plants, weeding, ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, potting, fertilizing with granular or liquid fertilizer, cleaning work areas, transporting plant materials in the nursery/greenhouse areas, loading and unloading plants and all other duties associated with ornamental plant production. Between harvesting, workers will be required to perform duties to prepare crops for marketing. Workers may unload and restock for storage. Work is to be done for long periods of time. Workers will assist in loading trucks with product weighing up to and including 60 pounds and lifting to a height of 5 feet for long periods of time. Workers should be able to work on their feet in bent positions for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, insect spray, related chemicals, etc. may affect workers’ ability to perform the job. Workers are exposed to wet weather early in the morning through the heat of the day, working in fields. Temperatures may range from 10 to 100 F. Workers may be required to work during occasional showers not severe enough to stop field operations. Workers should be physically able to do the work required with or without reasonable accommodations. Considerable stooping and kneeling is required. Care must be taken to prevent damaging plants. Saturday work required. Employer assures that workers will be provided transportation from living quarters to work site every day (for workers who must be provided housing under the applicable regulations.) Persons seeking employment as an experienced nursery worker must be available for the entire period requested by the employer. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience.