Orchard/farm Worker

Crops/Commodities: Apples, cherries, organic blueberries. Primary duties (performed the majority of workdays): Cultivate and hand-harvest blueberries. Prune, trim, and maintain crop. Spread and remove ground covers. Place and monitor bug traps. Trellis berry plants. Train berry canes. Monitor growth for tipping/pruning. Pick/harvest and pack berries according to quality standards. Load/transport harvested berries. Cultivate, thin and harvest tree fruit. Spot and/or strip pick fruit based on seasonal need. Snap fruit off tree with thumb and palm of hand to avoid stem pulls, punctures, bruising, or other damage. Using palm clippers, clip stems of Honeycrisp and Gala varieties without jabbing or punching fruit. Pick culls and peelers. Fill fruit buckets and place fruit in bins. Follow supervisor/foreman's instructions on color/size requirements. Must be able to differentiate between colors and fruit varieties accurately. Tree training duties include hoeing, tree painting, weed mat application. Tie/position trees and limbs, together and to trellises, using string, tape, wire or other fasteners and supports. Hand thin to control the size and quality of fruit. Remove fruit blossom, bud and/or identifiable fruit from within a cluster of other fruits. Must accurately identify and remove misshapen, damaged or otherwise unmarketable fruit. Hand prune based on fruit variety. Use manual and mechanized pruning tools and equipment. Identify and remove stubs or broken branches, downward-growing branches, branches rubbing against each other, shaded interior branches, dead wood and shoots-suckers. Cultivate and harvest cherries. Hand pick fruit leaving stems attached. Place harvested fruit at bottom of basket/bucket. Avoid stem pulls, punctures, bruising, or other damage. Identify defects (bird pecks, limb rubs, splits, sunburn) and other damage. Follow supervisor/foreman's instructions on fruit quality. Must be able to differentiate between colors and sizes accurately. Grade, size and field pack product. Workers will use/handle ladders up to 10 ft. in length and weighing up to 20 lbs. or perform work on motorized platform. Workers failing to produce a sufficient number of piece rate units to earn the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) for all hours worked during a pay period will be paid on an hourly basis at the AEWR for that pay period. Workers paid on an hourly basis who fail to perform their duties in a timely and proficient manner will be provided up to three warnings, and will be coached/instructed on working faster and more efficiently. Worker may be terminated upon issuance of third warning. Apply fertilizers, plant growth chemicals, conditioners, and other plant related treatments at the correct times depending on plant type, growth, climate and crop conditions. Workers injured on the job and unable to perform the full range of duties may be offered light duty, if available. Light duty tasks may vary depending on availability of task, nature of worker's injury, and instructions from worker's physician. Light duty tasks may include blight checking, fruit checking/quality control, light picking/pruning/thinning/sorting, or tree counting. Install/maintain irrigation systems and water lines. Move and install irrigation pipes and equipment. Dig and maintain ditches. Install and remove levee gates. 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.

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Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

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