Farm Workers

Number of Workers Requested:  8

Perform manual labor to cultivate, grade and harvest watermelons and cantaloupe. Workers will ride on transplanter to transplant watermelons and cantaloupe. Workers will walk in designated areas pre-selecting and removing mature watermelons from the vine and rolling watermelons according to supervisor’s instructions. Select, harvest and load cantaloupe according to supervisor’s instructions. The selection of mature melons to be harvested is based on appearance only considering the variances in shape, size, weight, and external color while also considering other factors such as location of vine, age of crop, number of times crop has been cut, growing conditions of crop, as well as variety of melons. A group of workers will walk through the field and pick up pre-selected watermelons and select and harvest cantaloupe by hand and load onto transport vehicles. During the loading process, workers will work in an assembly line, lifting selected melons, pitching the melons to another worker who catches the melons and pitches them to another worker or gently places them into a transport vehicle. Melons are unloaded and placed into bins for shipment or to be placed on shelves for retail. In the packing process, melons are unloaded from harvest transport vehicles where employees lift melons from harvest vehicle and pass to another employee who gently places the melons in designated areas. Count and check product. Discard any product with defects which render them unmarketable. Clean and maintain fields including pulling weeds. Duties also include field and shed sanitation. As a minor activity, assist with harvesting soybeans. All job activities are required to be done cautiously as not to damage growing crops or product. Workers who have a valid driver’s license may drive trucks to haul crops, supplies, tools, or farm workers on or off the farm. Workers are required to practice 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. Workers will have an unpaid lunch break. 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. TERMINATION. Prior to any termination for cause, employer evaluates workers’ performance of required tasks and compliance with Work Rules and other employer policies. Employer may terminate a worker for cause if the worker’s performance consistently and/or substantially fails to satisfy the employer’s reasonable expectations (in accordance with the criteria set forth herein), or otherwise engages in serious or egregious misconduct that endangers health, safety, or property. In assessing whether workers’ performance meets reasonable expectations, employer evaluates, among other reasonable criteria, whether the worker: (1) has adequately complied with the Work Rules and any other policies or procedures; (2) has complied with all health and safety guidelines, including the use of tools or equipment in accordance with best practices to protect the employer’s property, crops, and in a manner that avoids injury or damage; (3) has treated company property (tools, equipment, crops, fixtures, etc.