Farm Workers

Number of Workers Requested:  12

Perform manual labor to plant, transplant, cultivate, harvest, field pack, load and unload strawberry plants, strawberries, blackberries, pumpkins, peppers, tomatoes, beans, cabbage, sweet corn, squash and watermelons by hand, by machine and using hand tools. Transplant strawberry plants by removing transplants from trays, placing into pre-dug holes in plastic covered beds and covering roots with soil. Remove tips from the strawberry plants that are viable plugs and place into trays. Carry full trays to a trailer that is moving through the field. When strawberry plants are of the correct size and maturity, workers will carefully dig them up by hand, place a rubber band around plants, and place banded plants into boxes. Full boxes will then be carried and loaded onto a trailer that is moving through the field. Load strawberry plants into nursery stock cooling units. Walk through assigned row while bending and reaching to pick ripe strawberries and blackberries by hand without bruising or damaging the fruit or bush. Workers must use care to pick bushes clean of all berries of the correct color and size, as instructed by their supervisor. Strawberries and blackberries will be picked, graded and packed into clam shell containers according to supervisor’s instructions ensuring that there are no leaks. Once clamshells are full, workers will place them into boxes and carry full boxes to trailers moving through the fields at the end of the rows where fruit is inspected for quality. Workers must continuously examine, count and check harvested berries, plants and produce. Defective and low quality fruit/plugs will not be accepted and must be discarded. When harvest activities are complete, workers may thin and prune the blackberry bushes using hand clippers to encourage optimal growth for next season. Workers must follow the pattern and instruction set forth by the supervisors to carefully select which branches to clip. After training, workers must have a general understanding of how pruning affects competition with fruiting wood and how thinning is done to provide nutrition to the developing fruit. Improper pruning can cause problems with fruit load, fruit size, disease severity, and overall production. Plant peppers, tomatoes, squash, cabbage, watermelons and pumpkins by hand placing transplants into holes along rows. Insert stakes and string for tomatoes, beans and peppers. Harvest watermelon and pumpkin by cutting stems from the vine using knives. Workers will then pick up harvested watermelons and pumpkins and pitch them to another worker who will either gently place into bins or pitch it to another worker within an assembly line. Peppers, squash, and tomatoes will be picked from plants by hand and placed into buckets. When buckets are full, workers will carry and dump them into bins on a trailer that is moving through rows alongside workers. Cut cabbage using a knife and individually place into moving truck. Sweet corn will be harvested by pulling selected ears from the stalks, placing into crates and loading full crates onto moving trailers. Assist in the mechanical planting and harvesting of beans. Lay plastic to prepare beds for planting. Bend, reach and pull up used plastic. Till soil and apply fertilizers. Weed and clean fields. Clean, sort, count, check and load harvested products in the field. Cut, bale, and load Christmas trees. Set up and operate irrigation equipment. Clear and maintain irrigation ditches. Workers must use care not to damage or bruise produce, or leave any appropriate product on the plant during harvest. Minor activities include: tending to and maintaining livestock and pastures; operating, repairing and maintaining farm vehicles, implements and mechanical equipment; and repairing fences and farm buildings. Assist in Good Agricultural Practices polices.