- Full Time:
- Yes
- Number of Workers Requested:
- 8
- Job Duties:
- Plant, cultivate and harvest fruits and vegetables including but not limited to: peaches, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and muscadines. Perform ongoing orchard maintenance including pruning and thinning fruit trees. Operate farm vehicles and equipment including tractors, bushhogs, RTV side by sides, commercial zero turn mowers and weed eaters, chainsaws and any equipment necessary for general farm upkeep. PICKING PEACHES:
Fruits are selected from the tree according to size and/or color standard set by the picking supervisor. The entire tree must be checked to ensure removal of all fruit meeting-picking requirements. Fruits are placed gently in the picking container until container is full. Picking units must be kept free of limbs, leaves or mushy fruit.
PRUNING:
While pruning trees, workers will receive proper tools for the particular job, i.e., saw, pruning tools, and hand snips. Remove all resulting material from the fruit trees rendered from performing pruning tasks. Workers will be assigned rows of trees and must prune each tree according to the predetermined specification. The supervisor will set a pattern for each orchard, demonstrate and communicate this to the worker. Stay on their assigned rows unless directed by a supervisor to change, or to help someone out sporadically. When pruning is complete, each worker is required to rake and scatter the resulting brush in the center of the tractor/equipment middles.
THINNING:
Limbs must not be torn from the trees, nor should limbs be completely stripped of leaves or fruit. Proper spacing and selection of fruit are critical to maximizing the trees potential yield. While thinning trees, workers will be instructed as to how close together fruit should be spaced and which fruit are most desirable to leave or take.
ORCHARD MAINTENANCE:
Workers will be responsible for general orchard clean up. They will rake debris from the land such as sticks, straw, etc. Workers involved in orchard maintenance may be required to hoe trees, girdle, spread fertilizer, pick up roots and limbs, strip suckers or unwanted growth from trees, knock fruit off trees, use hand sprayer, remove vines, lay irrigation pipe, repair and maintain drip system, and strap and tie fruit trees. Orchard, vineyard, general field maintenance, grass and weed.
PEACH TREE PLANTING:
Prepare land to plant new peach trees. Till the soil. Make sure the land is clear of stones, sticks, roots, etc. This will include working for hours in a bent or stooped position. Dig a hole by hand.
TRACTOR OPERATION DURING FIELD OPERATIONS:
During picking, limb hauling, root hauling and hand fertilizing application, drive a tractor pulling a wagon through the field or between fields incidental to the job being performed. Tractors, forklifts and farm equipment should be driven and operated in a manner to protect operator, other workers, products, trees, crops and equipment.
STRAWBERRIES AND BLACKBERRIES:
Workers will help install black plastic and drip irrigation on rows in field being careful to cover all exposed edges of plastic cover with soil and be careful not to tear or punch holes in plastic. Plant strawberry plants in pre-punched holes on the plastic covered rows being careful to place the strawberry plants at the same depth in the soil as they grew in the nursery. Remove weeds from around the plants and from the row middles. Pick fully ripe strawberries; discard any cat-faced, deformed, decayed or undersized berries according to supervisor's instructions. Carefully remove any undesirable berries from plant that would later cause fungi to attack the plant. Carry full container weighing approximately 5 lbs. and empty into field bin or load onto trailer. Buckets must be full of correct measure and weight. When full, carry to end of row at designated truck-loading place.
- Job Classification:
- 45-2092.00 - Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse