Field Workers, Ag Equip Operators, Forklift Drivers

Foothill Packing Inc; Arizona; On-site; USD 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Foothill Packing Inc is seeking Field Workers in Arizona for various harvesting, pruning, and planting tasks involving dates, olives, and citrus trees. Workers will perform duties such as pollinating flowers, cleaning, and weeding all under supervision to ensure quality. The role requires operating farm equipment, mainly tractors, and knowledge of irrigation systems is beneficial.

Candidates must have physical stamina and be willing to work under varying conditions including standing for long periods and navigating uneven terrain. Training on tractor safety is mandatory.

Qualifications

• Basic knowledge of driving a tractor is required.
• Must pass tractor safety training.
• Experience with farm equipment operation preferred.

Responsibilities

• Prune and hoe citrus, date, and olive trees.
• Pollinate flowers and conduct various harvesting tasks.
• Perform planting, cleaning, and weeding duties.
• Operate tractors and perform maintenance checks.

Skills

Tractor driving skills

Knowledge of irrigation systems

Ability to operate farm equipment

Physical stamina

Tools

Tractor

Irrigation equipment

Job description

Field Worker (Dates, Olives, & Citrus)

Employees will be pruning and hoeing citrus, date and olive trees, using both hands pruning shears, pruning loppers and long handled hoes.

Specific to Date Palms, the de-thorn job is done by removing thorns from palms with a curved knife while standing on the ground or in a raised platform, moving the knife along the edges of the frond removing thorns.

Pollinating is done by removing the husk of the flower and tying a string around the strands at the middle of the flower, and possibly removing a portion of the flower if necessary, applying date pollen by hand with a small rubber pollinating tool.

Cutting centers/strand thinning is done by removing the center of the bunches with a hand pruner, and selectively removing dates or cutting strands to length. Tying for direction is done by choosing the natural direction of the bunch/fruit arm and bending it without breaking, and then tying it to support the weight of the fruit arm. The employee will insert metal rings carefully between the strands of the fruit bunch and then applying a fruit bag over the bunch while securing the bag to the bunch. Closing of the bag is done prior to harvest using twine or Velcro on the bag.

All jobs are done under the direction of the foreman and supervisor to ensure quality of work.

Harvest (Date Palms, Olive Trees, & Citrus Trees)

Harvest requires either working from the ground while standing or walking on uneven ground, or working from a basket/platform that is raised by a forklift or reach lift that could be as high as 55 feet off the ground.

Harvest is done by identifying fruit by color, and texture and picking accordingly and placing fruit into trays that are then moved to the field trailers or pallets. Removing is done by using a knife and cutting the twine and taking off bag. Bags are then counted/folded and put on pallets for storage. Fruit arms are then cut off using a knife.

All jobs are done under the direction of the foreman and supervisor to ensure quality of work.

Groundwork Planting

Date Palms, Olive Trees, & Citrus Trees work is done by digging a hole with a shovel and placing Date Palms, Olive Trees, & Citrus that could weigh up to 50 lbs. from a potted container into the hole and replacing soil.

Specific to Date Palms, cutting shoots is done by removing shoots on the side of palm trees by placing a chisel between shoot and tree and hammering the chisel to remove the shoot. Shoots are also removed from the side of the trees by placing a metal bar and prying the shoot off the tree.

Cleaning & Weeding

Cleaning Date Palms, Olive Trees, & Citrus includes weeding. While working on uneven ground, either dig with a shovel, or use a crowbar with a hammer, to remove shoots from the base of Date Palms, Olive Trees, & Citrus. Weeding is done with a long-handled hoe, or by hand if necessary.

All jobs are done under the direction of the foreman and supervisor to ensure quality of the work.

Irrigators

Under the supervision of the Supervisor/Foreperson, performs general irrigation work of produce fields via drip/sprinkler irrigation; drip irrigation installation, repair and maintenance; and sprinkler installation, repair and maintenance.

Workers will be responsible for starting and stopping surface and subsurface irrigation with siphon tubes as well as monitoring the elevation in head water by opening and closing irrigation gates. Workers will also need to assist in starting and stopping pumps for surface and subsurface drip irrigated fields.

Performs maintenance in and around vegetable fields such as bird control, weeding with a long handle hoe around irrigation valves, borders and trash removal. Tractor driving activities for purpose sprinkler irrigation pipe. Reports breakdowns and abides by safety procedures and performance standards.

Can fill out maintenance and progression sheet.

Required basic knowledge of driving a tractor, must pass a tractor safety training and demonstrate ability to operate tractor in a safe manner.

Agricultural Equipment Operators / Forklift Operators

Workers will drive and operate various farm equipment to perform farm field preparation such as planting, cultivating, fertilizing, farming, and maintaining farms.

Will attach and adjust farm implements to tractors such as discs, plows, rippers, cultivators, listers, and planters and will ensure equipment is operating properly at optimum performances.

Workers must conduct a daily maintenance check prior to operating the tractor, monitor, and drive tractors safely and efficiently over difficult terrain and must have sufficient knowledge of tractor mechanics to make simple and minor adjustments and repairs to tractors.

Workers will be required to understand and operate the GPS operating system. Required to have knowledge of driving a tractor, must pass tractor safety training and demonstrate ability.

Qualifications

Required basic knowledge of driving a tractor, must pass a tractor safety training, and demonstrate ability to operate tractor in a safe manner.

Must have knowledge of driving a tractor, must pass tractor safety training and demonstrate ability.