Farm Worker, Laborer

Number of Workers Requested:  23

This job requires a minimum of one month prior verifiable experience performing manual as well as mechanized activities with accuracy and efficiency. General – Instructions and overall supervision and direction of workers will be provided by a company supervisor. Workers hired pursuant to this job order must be able to comprehend and follow instructions of a company supervisor and communicate effectively to supervisors. Unusual complex or non-routine activities will be supervised. Workers will be expected to perform basic duties in a timely and proficient manner without close supervision. Work assignments will be made at the sole discretion of the employer conditional on unforeseen circumstances such as weather or other unscheduled/unexpected interruptions in regular work. Workers must perform the assigned work and may not perform duties not provided in this application, or work in areas not assigned without the specific authorization of the foreman or crew boss. Workers will be expected to perform any of the listed duties as assigned by his/her supervisor. Workers should be able to work on their feet in bent positions for long periods of time. Workers must be able to climb, stand, sit, stoop, squat, kneel, crouch, bend (from the waist), push, pull, reach and lift. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking. Workers should be physically able to do the work required with or without reasonable accommodations. Work is to be done for long periods of time. Workers may be required to work during occasional showers, not severe enough to stop field operations. Must be able to lift/carry 50 pounds. Employer paid post hire drug testing is required at random and after a worker has an accident at work. Workers will be required to perform a variety of duties, all associated with the cultivation, packing and processing of apples. Work will be both indoor and outdoor. Temperatures may range from 10 to 100. Indoor duties could include operating machines associated with packing, grading, stacking and storing apples. Outdoor duties could include harvesting fresh market fruit without bruise or defect from picking, pruning, tying trees to trellis, trellis repair and field preparation. Trellis repair and tying – workers will replace damaged or loose trellis poles. Workers will repair and tighten loose trellis wire. Worker will apply fasteners which hold the fruit tree to the trellis. Instruction will be provided on proper use of ladders for trellis work. Packing duties – Bagging involves removing full bags from machine, placing closure on the bag and gently laying bag on moving belt. Bags are placed in boxes by hand. Hand packing is placing each apple in a cardboard tray, or a bag, or loose in a box. Grading is visually inspecting each apple for defects, and placing defective apples in the appropriate spot. Grading instructions will be provided at the beginning of each pack run. Full boxes are hand stacked on pallets. Other pack duties include erecting boxes and run through the taper or stitcher and operate machine which floats apples out of field bins. Instruction and supervision is provided for all duties. Workers are expected to be efficient and productive. Lack of either will be grounds for termination. Pruning – Workers will be instructed on procedure of pruning specific trees. Pruning opens up the tree canopy to sunlight and air circulation to promote fruit production and healthy trees. Each worker will be provided with tools/pruners to complete the task. Workers will be instructed on the safety of the tools and the importance of pruning correctly. Other duties: workers may work in newly plowed fields picking up roots and rocks, placing them on trailers to be removed from the field; may operate tractors; perform general harvest duties, including picking up fruit, orchard cleanup, and harvest duties. Workers will be instructed in safety and operation of tractors before operation.