Field Worker (Celery) and Ag Equip Operator

Foothill Packing Inc; Yuma (AZ); On-site; USD 18,000 - 21,000; Full time

Job summary

Foothill Packing Inc. in Yuma, Arizona is seeking agricultural laborers to harvest celery and perform related field tasks. This role requires the ability to lift up to 50 pounds frequently and work in muddy, dirty conditions.

A minimum of 1 month of produce-related work experience is requested. You will cut, pack, and load celery in the field, sort and prepare stalks for packing, and operate basic hand tools.

Qualifications

• Must have 1 month of work experience with produce including harvest work.
• Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds frequently.
• Cannot be color blind due to the need to distinguish colors of crops.

Responsibilities

• Harvest celery in the field and assist in packing, sorting, and loading into totes or cartons.
• Use harvesting knives and bend at the waist to cut stalks from the roots and trim outer stalks.
• Follow supervisor directions to determine size and quality, and prepare product for packing and shipment.

Job description

This job was posted by https://www.azjobconnection.gov : For more information, please see: https://www.azjobconnection.gov/jobs/7623081

Must have 1 month of work experience with the produce as defined in this application including harvest work.

Specific requirements include lifting to 50 pounds frequently and being able to use hand tools, including cutting knives. Cannot be color blind due to the need to distinguish colors of crops. Must be able to work under conditions where skin and clothing become heavily soiled with mud, water, grease, etc.

Celery: Heavy field work to harvest Celery. Employees cut, pack, bunch, and load fresh celery in the field. Employees will walk in uneven furrows behind a harvesting platform machine or belt to cut the produce. Under the direction of the field Supervisors, employees determine size and quality of the product to be harvested. Then, using a harvesting hand knife and bending at the waist, the employee grasps the produce, cuts the stalks from the roots and trims the outer stalks from the stalk to prepare it to be placed into a tote, bin or carton. Cutter places the product on a table or conveyor for the packer/sorter to either or combination of; sort, bunch or cut in to florets and place into a tote, bin or carton. Packers will secure empty containers from designated racks and fill the totes and cartons to specification. Product from conveyer will be packed in to bins. Once totes or cartons are filled they are pushed on to conveyor belt for loaders to close/cover and stack on the pallet. Product on conveyor falls in to bins. The totes, bins and cartons for the product are constructed by unfolding and bending the material as designed to form a box. Totes, bins and cartons are labeled and marked as required. The process is repeated. The totes and cartons are lifted then stacked onto pallets on the deck of the harvester or trailer. Totes or cartons with product can weigh up to 50 lbs. Empty bins Pallets can weigh up to 95 lbs and are lifted by a machine. Between two workers the empty pallets are carried, and bins are assembled.

Agricultural Equipment Operators/Field Forklift Drivers: under the direction of the supervisor the driver is responsible for setting up, maintaining, and inspecting equipment prior to the start of the day. Workers will assist in preparing harvest machines for immediate field operation, or movement to a new location. Workers will operate tractors, tractor drawn machinery and harvest machines to harvest crops. Will operate tractors and harvesters through the furrows, towing loaded trailers on and off the field harvested area. They are also responsible for the following day, such as the setup of the tractors and harvesters, cartons for the harvested crops, fuel for the tractor, and general service of the equipment being used in the field. Field Forklift Drivers will operate the forklift tractor to move loads of totes/cartons, bins, and pallets from one trailer to another trailer in the fields. They will load and unload empty containers and containers full of products from the trailers. Workers are required to have basic knowledge of driving tractors, harvesters, field forklift, and must pass tractor/machine/forklift safety training and demonstrate the ability to operate equipment in a safe manner. Workers may occasionally and/or sporadically perform duties associated with and directly related to the primary duties. Such work will be temporary and unsubstantial agricultural labor.