Farm Worker

Work description

The farm worker position includes duties associated with the harvesting and packing of strawberries. This work can require standing, walking, stooping, bending, and lifting up to 50 pounds for long periods of time outdoors in all weather conditions. It also includes making important decisions based on size, coloring, and ripeness according to prescribed standards. This work requires adherence to important food safety and quality standard operating procedures and the ability to work quickly and consistently alongside fellow workers with a positive, professional, team-based attitude and a consideration for the safety and health of fellow workers and of the consumers who will purchase and consume the fresh produce grown, harvested, packed, and shipped from the farm. Strawberries: Workers will help install black plastic and drip irrigation on rows in the field being careful to cover all of the exposed edges of plastic cover with soil and being careful not to tear or punch holes in plastic. Workers may be asked to utilize implements associated with the installation of the plastic row covers incidental to performing required tasks on the ground. Workers will remove weeds from around the plants and from the row middles. Workers will bend and stoop to pick up strawberries according to size, color, shape and degree of maturity and place into field containers. Workers will be expected to pick fully ripe strawberries, discard any cat-faced, deformed, decaying or undersized berries according to supervisor’s instructions. Also, workers must carefully remove any undesirable berries from the plant that would later cause fungi to attack the plant. Workers may carry full containers to empty them into a field bin or load them onto a trailer. When full, carried to end of rows at designated truck-loading place. Then the buckets of berries will be inspected for quality and loaded for transportation to roadside market. All berries must be handled carefully to prevent bruises or fingernail cuts. Pickers will take extreme care not to damage the delicate berries. Depending on market demand, workers may also be required to pick berries in cups, clamshells and/or flats. Berries harvested specifically for sale at 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 strawberry is undamaged and perfect. All berries must be handled carefully to prevent bruising or fingernail cuts. Pickers will take extreme care not to damage the delicate berries. Quality and workmanship is of the utmost importance. The employer intends to utilize the approximate staggered start dates: 11/10 - 30 workers 12/10 - 27 workers