- Full Time:
- Yes
- Number of Workers Requested:
- 35
- Job Duties:
- The following description of job activities applies to apples and sweet cherries. Workers will use mechanized and power-driven equipment such as tractors, planters, sprayers, cultivator, and other equipment to plant, cultivate, harvest, and irrigate crops. Workers will be expected to be able to operate agricultural equipment with or without direct. Workers must be able to comprehend and follow instructions, communicate effectively to supervisors. Unusual, complex, or non-routine activities will be supervised. Field workers will be expected to perform their general duties in a timely and proficient manner. Workers must obey all safety rules and basic instructions and be able to recognize, understand, and comply with safety, pesticide warning/re-entry and other essential postings.
Workers must have a clean driving record (no major moving violations such as but no limited to Driving while intoxicated or reckless driving) and able to obtain an insurable driver’s license may be required to drive company vehicles.
Workers with proper licenses will use company vehicles to transport employers’ crops, tools and fellow workers.
Workers will install and maintain irrigation systems and water lines. Move and install irrigation pipes and equipment, remove drip tubing or install drip tubing, dig and maintain ditches.
Harvest Productivity Standards: Workers must be able to harvest at least 5 bins (20 bu Equivalent) per day of fresh market apples and 7 bins (20 bu Equivalent) per day of process apples while not to exceed 2% bruising rate.
Sanitation Requirements: For food and general personal safety purposes, all workers will be required and expected to follow common sanitary practices at all times. This is particularly critical when hand harvesting crops for human consumption. Employees are required to cleanse their hands by washing them thoroughly with soap and water after using the bathroom and before entering the fields for harvest activities or the packing facility for packing operations.
Workers will perform various tasks involved in planting, cultivation (including pruning and thinning) and harvesting fruit according to supervisor’s instructions. Workers may till soil, plant stock, and do pruning activities using a variety of tools. May aid in irrigation duties. May aid in minor repair of wooden fruit containers. Workers will harvest fruit according to color, size, and degree of maturity as specified by supervisor and place into ¾ bushel baskets taking the extra time, care and effort not to bruise or scar the fruit.
Spot Harvest: These apples are picked for immediate use. It is extremely important for this fruit not to be damaged. Workers must take care to prevent scratching and bruising fruit. Worker will be assigned a row usually with a partner and is responsible for picking the fruit that is the reddest and biggest. Fruit is selected from the tree according to size and/or color standard set by the picking supervisor. In some instances, fruit harvest will be done from a 16-foot ladder weighing up to 30 lbs. All workers must be able to lift and carry ladder, as well as work from the top of the ladder. The entire tree must be checked to ensure removal of all fruit meeting-picking requirements. Fruit is placed gently in the picking container until container is full. The full picking container weighing up to 50 lbs. is then gently emptied into a field bin, taking care not to spill or bruise the fruit in the container or in the field bin. Field bin volume may be checked and determined by weight on state certified scales. Workers are required to stay on their assigned row unless directed by a supervisor to change, or to help someone sporadically. Picking units will be kept free of limbs, leaves or mushy fruit. Workers will be required to pick up and return picking ladders to the ladder wagon provided by the grower at the end of each workday or as directed by the grower or designated supervisor.
- Job Classification:
- 45-2092.00 - Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse