Agriculture, Forestry

Sweet Tree Holdings 1, LLC; East Haven (VT); On-site; USD 17,000 - 22,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Housing provided

Transportation to town weekly

Job summary

Sweet Tree in Vermont is seeking workers for a maple sugaring operation. You will perform a variety of seasonal tasks including tapping, spout installation, and tubing setup in a cold-weather outdoor setting.

Experience of at least 1 month in agriculture is required. Training is provided; housing and weekly transport are arranged by the employer. Shifts run 7:00am–7:00pm, Monday through Saturday, with 48 hours per week.

Qualifications

• Minimum 1 month of agricultural work experience.

Responsibilities

• Tapping trees with precision equipment; insert and set spouts; maintain and repair tubing and piping; perform fall maintenance and leak checks; operate ATVs and processing equipment as needed; assist in maple sap processing in the pump house.

Job description

All applicants must be able, willing, and qualified to perform the work described in this job description and must be available for the entire period of employment specified in box A.3 & A.4. This work order is for qualified people with 1 month’s prior experience performing agricultural work and working in a commercial scale maple sugaring operation. Workers must be willing to work in cold weather as low as -20 degrees Fahrenheit/-28 degrees Celsius and work on snow covered ground up to 5 feet. Employees are required to provide their own appropriate and effective layers and outerwear such as boots, parka/jacket, rain gear (pants and jackets), hats, gloves, and base layers. Workers may perform a variety of tasks throughout these seasons based on what the woods manager they report to needs for the day-to-day operation of the bush. Workers will use precision tree-sap tapping equipment and operate all-terrain vehicles. This position involves precision boring of "tap-holes" in trees; precision insertion and setting of spouts; crimping, cutting, and connecting food-grade flexible PVC tubing; and installation and repairing of various diameter food-grade flexible PVC pipe/tubing (up to 2'). Workers are responsible for the hands-on work of fall maintenance, leak checking, leak repairs, tap pulling and tapping to Sweet Tree's tapping quality standards. Workers must be physically able to stand and walk for most of the day in woods and mountainous environments. Workers must be able to work independently or in small groups in remote settings. Workers must be able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds and be available to work Monday through Saturday. The employer will provide 1 day of training and allow 2 days of work for the worker to satisfactorily perform all duties in this job order. Workers will be compensated at the correct rate of pay for all hours worked, including when they are performing the employer’s obligation of driving. Employer will furnish to workers without cost all tools and equipment required to perform duties assigned. Workers will generally be required to work 8 hours shift within the hours of 7:00am to 7:00pm, from Monday through Saturday. This schedule totals 48 hours per week. The 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. range reflects the seasonal and weather-dependent nature of maple tapping operations, including variability in sap flow and collection conditions. This flexibility ensures workers can complete their required weekly hours while responding to daily production needs. In addition, they may also be offered additional voluntary hours outside of such hours and days, resulting in optional 10–12-hour shifts performing work related to operating and monitoring reverse osmosis machines and other processing equipment in the pumphouse. Additional assigned duties may include incidental functions related to processing of maple sap (as described in 29 C.F.R. § 780.815), such as operating vacuuming pumps, monitoring equipment, cleaning lines and filter presses, setting up evaporators and necessary equipment during boiling hours only in Sweet Tree’s on-site processing facilities. No non-agricultural work will be assigned. Workers will be given 30 minutes for lunch break, staggered within the hours of 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., as determined by both the workers and management. Workers may choose where to eat their lunch and must return to work after the 30-minute break. Beginning and ending times will vary depending on the conditions in the sugar bush. Workers must be able to take direction in simple English.

Housing

Rental or public accommodations

Meals

Employers will not provide meals. Workers will purchase and prepare food in the employer provided (or secured housing) fully equipped kitchen with refrigerator, stove, pots, pans, utensils, and counter space free of charge. Employers will provide transportation in a 15-passenger seater Ford Transit van, a 6-passenger seater Chevy Suburban, a 5-passenger seater Ford F-350, and a 4-passenger seater Chevy Tahoe once a week at no cost to the worker to take care of personal errands, such as to the grocery store to purchase food, MoneyGram, Western Union, and any other incidentals.

Transport

The employer will reimburse the H-2A worker in the first workweek for all visa, visa processing, border crossing, and other related fees, including those mandated by the government, incurred by the H-2A worker. If the worker completes 50% of the work contract period, employer will reimburse the worker for transportation and subsistence from the place of recruitment to the place of work. Upon completion of the work contract or where the worker is dismissed earlier,

Experience wanted

1 months

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