Farm Worker/Laborer

Work description

The employee will perform general dairy farm maintenance, sanitation, and winter preparation duties to maintain safe and efficient farm operations. Responsibilities include maintaining and winterizing dairy equipment, engines, batteries, water tanks, water lines, hoses, valves, hydrants, irrigation pipes, and plumbing; installing insulation, freezer strips, and protective tank lids; checking coolant concentrations; greasing equipment and barn curtains; replacing milking parlor rubber components and equipment blades; and ensuring water systems and equipment remain operational in freezing temperatures. Duties also include clearing snow, ice, and debris from feed alleys, cow lanes, barn entrances, loading areas, calf areas, and other work areas; spreading salt; maintaining safe footing; and adjusting barn curtains, doors, and windbreaks to support proper ventilation and protect livestock from cold stress. Additional duties include cleaning, washing, and sanitizing milking equipment, water tanks, ventilation fans, facilities, and farm equipment; washing, drying, and preparing calf coats, calf bottles, and barn towels; bedding pens; scraping manure from hard-to-reach areas; sweeping and pressure washing facilities; cutting and removing weeds; cutting twine from bales; and performing general cleanup. The employee will also assist with milking parlor operations during periods of cold stress, push up and refresh cattle feed, deliver feed more frequently as needed, operate tractors to assist with feeding, open gates for tractors, move cattle to headlocks for breeding, and perform other general dairy farm duties as assigned to maintain animal care, farm sanitation, and daily operations throughout the winter season.