Agricultural Equipment Operator/Shuttle Driver

Crops: Green/Red Romaine, Green/Red Oak, Green/Red Leaf Lettuce, Mizuna, Arugula, Green/Red Swiss Chard, Tatsoi, Spinach, Kale, Culinary Herbs, Microgreens, Strawberries, Celery, and Cabbage.

General Summary

This job order is classified under SOC Code 45-2091 – Agricultural Equipment Operators. Workers will operate and control agricultural equipment to support agricultural activities, including soil preparation, planting, cultivating, irrigating, and harvesting crops.

Workers will operate mechanized and power-driven agricultural equipment, including tractors, planters, sprayers, cultivators, and other farm machinery used in vegetable and herb production. Workers must be able to safely operate equipment with or without direct supervision, understand and follow instructions, communicate effectively with supervisors, and complete assigned duties in a timely and efficient manner.

Unusual, complex, or non-routine activities will be performed under supervision. Workers must comply with all safety rules, pesticide safety requirements, warning/re-entry requirements, and other required safety postings.

Equipment Operation and Field Work

Workers will perform mechanized fieldwork using agricultural equipment, including but not limited to:

• Tractors
• Planters
• Sprayers
• Cultivators
• Other farm machinery used for planting, cultivating, harvesting, and irrigation activities

Workers may be required to perform the following duties:

• Operate equipment to prepare soil, plant, cultivate, harvest, and irrigate crops.
• Perform routine equipment checks and report maintenance concerns.
• Assist with general equipment maintenance and cleaning.
• Harvest crops by hand and perform manual field labor for extended periods.
• Work in packing facilities to pack vegetables and agricultural products.

Driving Responsibilities

Workers with a valid driver's license, clean driving record, and insurable driving status may be required to operate company vehicles.

Major driving violations, including but not limited to driving under the influence or reckless driving, will disqualify workers.

Driving responsibilities may include:

• Transporting H-2A workers to and from fields, employer-provided housing, and other designated locations.
• Ensuring workers arrive safely and on time.
• Transporting crops, tools, equipment, and workers between locations.
• Performing routine vehicle inspections, refueling, and maintaining vehicles in clean and safe operating condition.
• Following all applicable state and federal traffic laws and H-2A program requirements.

Irrigation Duties

Workers may be required to install, maintain, and repair irrigation systems and water lines, including:

• Installing and removing irrigation pipes, fittings, and equipment.
• Installing and removing drip tubing.
• Digging, cleaning, and maintaining irrigation ditches.
• Assisting with irrigation setup and field watering activities.

Crop Production Duties

Workers may perform a variety of duties related to the production of vegetables, herbs, and other field crops, including:

• Planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops such as romaine, oak leaf lettuce, leaf lettuce, mizuna, arugula, chard, tatsoi, spinach, kale, culinary herbs, microgreens, strawberries, celery, cabbage, and other crops.
• Using hand tools such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, shears, and knives.
• Preparing fields and planting areas.
• Tilling soil and applying fertilizers.
• Transplanting, weeding, thinning, and pruning crops.
• Applying pesticides as directed and in accordance with safety requirements.
• Cleaning, grading, sorting, packing, weighing, labeling, bundling, and loading harvested products.

Farm Maintenance Duties

Workers may also be required to perform general farm maintenance activities, including:

• Repairing fences.
• Assisting with farm building maintenance.
• Repairing or covering hoop houses.
• Installing and removing plastic coverings, crop netting, and other protective materials.
• Removing damaged poles and installing replacement poles in hoop houses.
• Maintaining equipment, restrooms, lunch tables, packing areas, and fields in a clean and sanitary condition.
• Collecting and disposing of packing materials, boxes, labels, trash, and other unwanted materials.

Workers may perform additional general farming duties, including ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, and ground preparation.

Packing Duties

Workers may be required to:

• Pack crops into totes, bins, clamshells, and other containers.
• Tie or bundle products.
• Weigh and label products.
• Load products by hand.

Personal Protective Equipment Requirements

When working in the field, workers must wear all required personal protective equipment (PPE).

Workers must report to work daily wearing appropriate work clothing and durable footwear suitable for agricultural work. Workers wearing inappropriate clothing or footwear may not be permitted to begin work.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

This position requires strenuous physical labor performed in outdoor agricultural fields and packing facilities.

Workers must be able to:

• Harvest crops by hand for extended periods.
• Stand, walk, bend, stoop, kneel, and work in bent positions for long periods of time.
• Perform repetitive movements and extensive walking.
• Lift, carry, push, and pull products weighing up to 60 pounds, including loading and unloading trucks and lifting products to approximately five feet in height.
• Work in packing areas performing boxing, weighing, and loading duties.

Work may be performed under varying weather conditions, including:

• Temperatures ranging from 10°F to 105°F.
• Cold, wet conditions.
• Direct sunlight.
• High humidity.
• Moderate winds.
• Dew, rain, light snow, or occasional showers that do not stop field operations.

Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honeybees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related agricultural materials may affect an individual's ability to perform the job.

Workers must be physically capable of performing the required duties, with or without reasonable accommodations, and must be willing to perform the strenuous manual labor required on a farm.

Sanitation Requirements

Because workers handle crops intended for human consumption, all employees must follow strict sanitation practices at all times.

Employees are required to:

• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after using the restroom.
• Wash hands before eating, drinking, smoking, or returning to work.
• Wash hands before entering harvest fields or packing facilities.
• Follow all food safety and sanitation procedures.
• Maintain clean and sanitary work areas during harvesting and packing operations.

Minimum Job Requirements / Qualifications

Applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

Education: No minimum U.S. diploma or degree required.

Work Experience: Minimum of three (3) months of experience operating farm equipment. Experience working with herbs, leafy greens, or similar agricultural crops is preferred..

Basic Job Requirements:

• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Must be physically capable of performing all job duties and meeting the requirements outlined in this job order.
• Must be able to lift up to 60 pounds.
• Must be able to perform extensive pushing and pulling.
• Must be able to stand, walk, sit, bend, stoop, and perform repetitive movements for extended periods.
• Must be able to work outdoors in extreme temperatures, including hot and humid weather conditions.
• Must be willing and able to perform strenuous agricultural labor as required.
• Equipment Operation Requirements:
• • Must have experience operating agricultural equipment, including but not limited to tractors, planters, sprayers, cultivators, and other power-driven farm equipment.
  • Must be able to safely operate equipment with or without direct supervision.
  • Must be able to understand and follow instructions and communicate effectively with supervisors and coworkers.
  • Must be able to perform assigned duties efficiently and with minimal supervision.
  • Unusual, complex, or non-routine tasks will be performed under supervision.
• Safety Requirements:
  • Must follow all company safety rules, procedures, and instructions.
  • Must be able to recognize, understand, and comply with safety requirements, pesticide warning labels, re-entry intervals, and other required workplace postings.
• Drug Screening:
  • Employees are subject to random drug testing after hire at no cost to the employee.
  • Drug testing will not be conducted as part of the interview or hiring process.
  • Failure to submit to a required drug test or a positive test result may result in immediate termination.