Farm Worker

Work description

Crops: Pecans Perform manual labor to plant pecan trees, cultivate and harvest pecans. Clean, pack and load harvested products. Operate farm vehicles, tractors, and agricultural equipment. Ongoing orchard maintenance including pruning and thinning on ladders and lifts. Use hand tools such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, pruning scissors, pipe fittings, pipe wrenches, shears, pick axes and wheelbarrows. Workers will be assigned rows of trees and must prune and thin each tree as shown by the field supervisor. Limbs must not be torn from the tree, nor should limbs be completely stripped of leaves. Till soil; transplant, weed, thin and prune crops. Construct trellises, repair and maintain fences and farm buildings. Repair and maintain farm vehicles and agricultural equipment. Pick up old pecans in the field to be hauled off. Use wheelbarrow to haul dirt, concrete, and mulch to washes in the field. Lift and carry buckets to spread fertilizer, keeping up, as tractor pulls fertilizer trailer through orchard. Haul fertilizer to young trees with wheelbarrow. Apply fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. Remove unwanted weeds by hand in orchard. Clear and maintain irrigation ditches including checking valves. Set up, operate and maintain irrigation equipment. 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. Mow, cut, and weed fields. Perform ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, ground preparation, and other manual tasks. Bending, stooping and kneeling required. Use hand tools including but not limited to hoes, shovels, shears, clippers, loppers, and saws. Lift, carry, and load/unload products or supplies. Assist with farm building/field maintenance and repairs. Repair fences. 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. Outdoor work required when plants are wet, or during light rain, snow, moderate winds, direct sun, high humidity and extreme temperatures. Temperatures in fields during working hours may vary. Workers may be required to work during occasional showers not severe enough to stop field operations. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honey bees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related chemicals may affect a worker's ability to perform the job. Work is done outdoors for long periods of time and requires prolonged periods of standing and/or walking, repetitive movements, and frequent bending and/or stooping. Workers must be able to handle, lift, and carry heavy or bulky objects (product, containers) in accordance with the specified lifting requirements. 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.