Certified Orchard & Disease Mitigation Specialist

H2ajobs; Elkland (MO); On-site; USD 24,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Housing provided

Meals provided

Job summary

H2ajobs is seeking workers to perform specialized orchard care, including establishment, pruning, and disease/pest monitoring for fruit trees. You will inspect trees for health issues, apply approved organic-compatible treatments, and maintain records of treatments and tree condition.

Basic equipment operation and outdoor work in varied weather are required. Responsibilities include pruning, training, irrigation, and seasonal maintenance, with an emphasis on long-term tree health and fruit

Qualifications

• Experience wanted: 3 months.
• Experience in orchard or farm work is a plus.
• Willingness to perform outdoor labor in varying weather conditions.

Responsibilities

• Establish, prune, and maintain fruit trees (apple, cherry, other fruits).
• Inspect trees for disease, pests, nutrient deficiencies, and other health issues.
• Apply approved organic-compatible pest/disease controls per label and instructions.
• Operate orchard equipment and basic maintenance of tools.
• Maintain records of observations, treatments, and maintenance tasks.
• Assist visitors with orchard safety and information when applicable.

Job description

Perform specialized orchard establishment, maintenance, pruning, and plant-health work for apple, cherry, and other fruit trees. Inspect trees for fungal and bacterial disease, insect pressure, nutrient deficiency, winter injury, structural defects, and other conditions affecting tree health or fruit production. Identify affected trees and carry out approved cultural and organic-compatible disease and pest-management practices.

Prune young and established fruit trees using hand pruners, loppers, pruning saws, and pole pruners. Develop and maintain assigned tree-training systems, improve airflow and sunlight penetration, remove dead, damaged, or diseased wood, and support long-term tree health and fruit production. Sanitize pruning tools when disease risk requires it and remove or properly dispose of infected limbs, fallen fruit, mummified fruit, leaves, and other disease-harboring orchard debris.

Monitor orchard blocks on a regular schedule and maintain written or electronic records of tree condition, disease and pest observations, weather-related risks, pruning completed, treatments applied, and follow-up work required. Apply approved biological, mineral-based, horticultural, and other organic-compatible products according to label directions, employer instructions, applicable regulations, and required safety procedures. Calibrate, operate, clean, and maintain backpack sprayers, hand sprayers, and related orchard application equipment.

Plant, stake, tie, train, water, mulch, fertilize, and protect newly established fruit trees. Install and maintain tree guards, support systems, irrigation components, orchard fencing, and related orchard infrastructure. Perform grafting, limb training, fruit thinning, sucker removal, weed control, mowing, and other seasonal orchard-maintenance duties.

Operate tractors, mowers, utility vehicles, trailers, and other farm equipment used in orchard operations when authorized. Perform routine equipment inspections and basic maintenance. Work outdoors in varying weather conditions and perform repeated bending, reaching, climbing, lifting, carrying, standing, and walking while using orchard tools and ladders.

The orchard is located on an agritourism farm that is periodically open to families, children, customers, and other members of the public. While performing the primary orchard duties described above, the worker may have incidental contact with visitors. The worker must communicate courteously and professionally, answer basic questions concerning orchard activities when able, direct visitors to designated public areas, communicate orchard safety rules, and promptly report hazards or visitor-safety concerns to the employer.

When working in public orchard areas, the worker may provide limited assistance directly related to orchard operations, including explaining safe fruit-picking practices, directing visitors away from active equipment or treatment areas, and maintaining clean and safe orchard pathways. These visitor-contact responsibilities are incidental to the worker’s primary orchard establishment, pruning, cultivation, plant-health monitoring, disease-mitigation, and seasonal maintenance duties.

Housing: Employer-provided (including mobile or range)

Meals: the employer furnishes free and convenient cooking and kitchen facilities sufficient for preparation of three meals per day and that the worker will be provided transportation to a grocery store at least once each week at no cost to the worker using employer-provided transportation. Additional reasonable grocery trips may be provided when necessary.

The employer will also provide basic cooking and food preparation equipment necessary for workers to prepare their own meals, including pots, pans, cooking utensils, dishes, cups, and eating utensils. Workers will have reasonable and convenient access to the kitchen facilities each day and will be able to independently purchase, store, prepare, and cook their own meals.

All kitchen facilities, appliances, utilities, and basic cooking equipment will be provided to the worker without charge and will be maintained in safe, sanitary

Transport: Worker arranges inbound transportation. After completing 50% of the contract, employer will reimburse reasonable inbound transportation and subsistence costs, subject to any earlier FLSA reimbursement requirement. Upon contract completion or termination without cause, employer will provide or pay reasonable outbound transportation and subsistence, using the most economical reasonable common carrier

Experience wanted: 3 months

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