Farm / Irrigation / Livestock Worker

Number of Workers Requested:  5

Worker will be required to perform a variety of duties related to the production of alfalfa hay and silage; triticale hay and silage; cover crop silage; Corn Silage; Sorghum Hay or Silage; and beef cattle. The majority of the work activities during the overall contract period, however, will be related to general farm work/irrigation/crop production. General Farm Work will include the following responsibilities: maintain, drive, attach, and operate farm implements/tractors/equipment to till soil, plant, cultivate, fertilize, and harvest crops; make minor mechanical adjustments and repairs on farm machinery; may mix and/or spray chemicals (according to appropriate restrictive use laws, when/if applicable); remove undesirable and excess growth from crops or farm grounds; remove rocks from field; paint/repair/maintain farm structures; maintain/repair fencing; perform general cleanup of farm areas; inspect, maintain, and repair equipment, machinery, buildings, pens, yards, and fences; drive, load/unload farm trucks and Ag exempt, non CDL 10 Wheel trucks; operate vehicle, motor bike, or all-terrain vehicle in the course of performing duties; ; workers possessing the proper licensure may be asked to transport other farm workers. Irrigation duties will include the following: Hand lines: connect pipes; check alignment of pipe and adjust for proper water distribution; attach lines to water supply; turn on pump; turn valves to start flow of water; disassemble lines and carry pipes across fields at specified intervals; move pipes through freshly irrigated crops and/or plowed fields where mud may be deep at times; lift and carry pipe sections weighing approximately 40 pounds on a sustained basis. Wheel lines: start gasoline engines and operate controls to move lines across fields at specified intervals. Pivots: operate, maintain, and repair system. Flood Irrigation: lift gate in side of flooded irrigation ditch/pipe permitting water to flow into bordered section of field; shovel and pack dirt in low spots of embankment or cut trenches in high areas to direct water flow; close gate in ditch/pipe when bordered section is flooded; open gate or connect pipe to underground pipe system that releases water flow into reservoir or ditch; siphon water from flooded reservoir or ditch to channel water into designated areas; shovel or hoe soil to clear ditches/furrows and build embankments to appropriately channel water; mix and apply proper solutions to fill holes/cracks in pipes, ditches, and spillways, and make minor repairs to metal, concrete, and wooden frameworks in pipe and ditch valves and gates. Other Irrigation Duties: remove pipes/wheel lines from storage and lay out/place in predetermined patterns in fields; lubricate, adjust, repair, and replace parts such as sprinkler heads and drive chains using hand tools; observe revolving sprinklers and adjust to ensure proper operation and uniform distribution of water; disassemble, service, and store pipes/mainlines/wheel lines after irrigation season. Duties related to the production of livestock will include the following: check physical characteristics, observe general condition of livestock and apply the appropriate care; examine animals to detect illness/injury/disease, rate of weight gain or to determine offspring delivery time; assist in delivery; apply or administer medications, vaccines and/or insecticides; mix feed/additives and feed/water livestock; place mineral blocks; drive equipment to haul/distribute feed/water; herd livestock; confine livestock in stalls; clean corrals/stalls/sheds; dock, castrate, brand, clip/tag and clamp livestock; clean/disinfect livestock stalls/corrals/sheds; maintain records on animals; hoist/stack bales of hay onto wagon/truck.