- Full Time:
- Yes
- Number of Workers Requested:
- 139
- Job Duties:
- All Activities: Workers will perform all job specifications as instructed by the Farm Manager or Crew Supervisor. Each worker will receive and identification number to be used during harvest activities and throughout the employment period. Work hours may vary depending on weather or other conditions. Sunday work may be required. Duties may vary from time to time and may include all of the following job specifications:
Runner Cutting/Trimming: Worker will walk down row as instructed and cut/trim runners, leaves, and blooms as directed from each strawberry plant as necessary.
Freeze Protection Activities: May assist regardless of time of day, in keeping overhead irrigation rain birds free of ice during freezing weather.
Weeding: Workers will remove weeds by use of a hoe from the walk-way and remove all weeds growing around plants by hand. Workers will remove weeds from the growing area, by raking piles of debris and dispose of it as instructed.
Citrus Harvesting: Worker will place a picking sack over their shoulder and carry a 18' to 20' ladder from the field truck to the particular area of the grove to be harvested. The picking sack is a canvas bag equipped with a shoulder strap for support, an opening for the insertion of fruit, and an opening to remove fruit. A fully loaded sack weighs between approximately 80 and 100 pounds, depending upon the size, condition and variety of fruit. Worker positions ladder against the tree and within reach of the fruit in a leaning position, taking care not to break limbs, damage the tree, knock off fruit, or interfere with other workers, in a secure position to prevent slipping or falling and possible injury to themselves or other workers. Worker will remove fruit from the tree and place into pick sack. When pick sack is full take full sack to fruit tub located in the grove and drop fruit from pick sack into tub.
Blueberry Harvesting: Worker will carry a lidless plastic bucket equipped with a handle to the particular area of the field to be harvested. A fully loaded bucket weighs 5.5 pounds. Worker will carry bucket along plants stopping and stooping at each plant to remove fruit and place into bucket. When bucket is full take full bucket to fruit tub located in the field and drop fruit from bucket into tub.
Strawberry Harvesting: Worker will carry 12 plastic quart size containers within a cardboard flat equipped with a shoulder strap to the particular area of the field to be harvested. A fully loaded flat weighs 12 pounds. Workers will carry flat along plants stopping and stooping at each plant to remove fruit and place into quart size containers. When flat is full take full flat to pallet for loading.
Watermelon Hand Harvesting-In order to perform this kind of work, the worker must be able to walk down the field row and use a knife to hand cut ripe watermelons off the vine for harvesting. The watermelons are then loaded in a bus by forming part of an assembly line, in which the first worker bends down picks up the watermelon and it is passed on to consecutive workers by passing, catching, lifting, until it reaches the worker on the bus, who then sets it down and stacks them until the bus is considered full. Workers will perform prolonged walking, bending, stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, lifting, and carrying 0-90 lbs. In order to perform harvesting work, worker must be able to work outside for at least 6 hours a day in all kinds of weather and be in possession of the requisite physical strength and endurance to repeat the picking process rapidly, working quickly and skillfully with their hands, and carrying a large number of containers of fruit from the area in which the fruit is being harvested to the location of the tub.
- Job Classification:
- 45-2092.00 - Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse