- Full Time:
- Yes
- Number of Workers Requested:
- 28
- Job Duties:
- Berry Workers: Perform manual labor to hand-harvest blackberries and blueberries. Duties include planting, pruning, hoeing and picking up roots. Grade, sort, or classify berries by size, weight, color, or condition. Load and unload crops and farm materials. Workers will walk along rows as specified by employer and remove weeds and grass from fields by hand or using a hoe. May operate and perform minor maintenance and repairs on farm vehicles, implements and equipment. May repair fences, greenhouses, farm buildings and other structures, or perform irrigation activities. Perform farm, field and shed sanitation duties. Mow grass and operate trimmer around farm buildings. Direct and monitor the work of casual and seasonal help during planting and harvesting. May operate farm vehicles to haul crops and drive other farmworkers from place to place around the farm properties (including on public roads to reach farmer’s fields) during the workday. May operate light truck or van off the farm and over the road to drive themselves or other farmworkers from place to place, such as to the grocery store, bank, government agencies, medical or dental offices and so forth. May operate truck with GVWR of less than 13 tons to transport crops produced on the farm (in its unmanufactured state) to storage or to market or to a carrier for transportation to market. Though not a hiring requirement, if a worker drives a company vehicle during the period of employment then at the time of operating the company vehicle the driver must possess a valid driver’s license issued by a U.S. state or foreign equivalent and operate the company vehicle in accordance with the license restrictions and vehicle classifications applicable to that license. All workers are required to follow common sanitary practices at all times. This is particularly important when touching crops for human consumption. Workers are required to cleanse their hands by washing thoroughly with soap and water before entering field for harvest activities and after each break. Smoking and the use of tobacco products prohibited during working time.
Blackberries: This is a very difficult, scratchy job as these are thorny blackberries. Harvest is a difficult, painful job that requires constantly reaching into thorny blackberry plants. Necessary manual dexterity precludes wearing gloves. And significant briar scratches are normal complications. Workers must be diligent to avoid natural complications related to natural hazards, including poison oak, chiggers, and snakes. Workers will bend and stoop to pick blackberries according to size, color, shape and degree of maturity and place into field containers. Workers will be expected to pick fully ripe blackberries, discard any deformed, decayed or undersized berries according to supervisor’s instructions. Also, workers must carefully remove any undesirable berries from plant that would later cause fungi to attack the plant. Workers will carry 2 full containers with 6,2 qt. baskets in each weighing approximately 12 lbs. each to the field trailer. Workers will properly fill all 2 qt baskets. The workers will take turns transporting blackberries to the cooler, but must transport all fruit to coolers at least hourly. Then the buckets of berries will be inspected for quality and loaded for transportation to roadside market Depending on market demand, workers may also be required to pick blackberries in cups and/or flats. Blackberries harvested specifically for sale at a roadside stand as fresh market specialty basket containers must be field graded. For berries harvested for sale at roadside stands, extra care must be used to ensure that each blackberry is undamaged and perfect. All berries must be handled carefully to prevent bruises or fingernail cuts. Pickers will take extreme care not to damage the delicate berries. Quality and workmanship is of the utmost importance.
- Job Classification:
- 45-2092.00 - Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse