Packers

Work description

Crops/Commodities: potatoes (post-harvest packing only). Primary duties (performed the majority of workdays): Workers will perform post-harvest agricultural handling of potatoes inside an indoor packing facility. All duties occur after harvest and involve manual loading, feeding, packaging, and palletizing of potatoes and potato products. Workers will: • Manually load potatoes and packaging materials (bags, boxes, liners) into automated bagging and boxing machines. • Remove filled bags or boxes from machines and place them onto pallets or designated staging areas. • Manually stack packaged agricultural product weighing up to 60 lbs to build stable pallets for shipment. • Operate simple machine controls (start/stop buttons) on automated bagging or palletizing equipment as directed. • Straighten or adjust stacked packages on pallets to maintain stability. • Inspect packaging materials and finished packages for visible defects such as holes, tears, or leaks. • Apply labels or markings to containers or packages using stickers or hand marking tools. • Record basic production counts such as number of packages completed. • Clean work areas by sweeping, removing debris, and discarding waste to maintain safe and sanitary conditions. • Shovel or scoop potatoes into machines or containers manually when needed. No Fieldwork / No Crop Production • No planting, cultivating, irrigating, or harvesting of potatoes or any other crop. • No cutting or preparing potato seed. • No separating potatoes, removing stems, or removing defective potatoes. • No grading, sorting, culling, or conveyor belt inspection of potatoes. • No tilling soil, weeding, thinning plants, or crop maintenance. • No installation, maintenance, or movement of irrigation systems or water lines. • No application of fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or crop protectants. • No ditching, hoeing, shoveling, or field preparation. • No operation of tractors, harvesters, or any agricultural field equipment. • No farm building, fence, or field repairs. • No driving company vehicles for field operations. • No outdoor fieldwork under any weather conditions. All work is performed indoors in a post-harvest agricultural packing facility. Workers must operate all equipment properly and in a manner that protects operator, others, the employer's products and property. Failure to comply with safety requirements and operating instructions may result in disciplinary action up to and including immediate termination. Must wear assigned personal protective equipment when required. Must report for work daily wearing work clothing and boots or other durable foot wear. Workers wearing clothing inappropriate for work will not be permitted to start work. Supervisor(s) will provide instructions and directions to workers. Workers must be able to comprehend and follow instructions and communicate effectively to supervisors. Unusual, complex or non-routine activities will be supervised. Workers expected to perform basic duties in a proficient manner without close supervision. Persons seeking employment in this position must be available for the entire period requested by the employer. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. Job opportunity is Skill Level II. Workers must be able to perform all primary duties independently and without close supervision. Employer may request, but not require, workers to work more than the stated daily hours and/or on a worker's Sabbath or federal holidays. Worker must report to work at designated time and place each day. Daily or weekly work schedule may vary due to weather, sunlight, temperature, crop conditions, and other factors. Employer will notify workers of any change to start time. Workers will have an unpaid lunch break.