Nursery Worker

Work description

Crops/Commodities: trees. Primary duties (performed the majority of workdays): Workers performing tasks in each of the following specific areas will be required to maintain the quality and pace of work as directed by the Team Leader. The Production Manager (Team Leader) will provide instructions and general supervision to the worker(s). However, workers will be expected to perform their duties in a timely and proficient manner without close supervision. Nursery work specifications can change from time to time during the season due to weather and market conditions. Workers will be expected to conform to the specific instructions given for each day's work. Pruning: Responsible for pruning field grown plant material. Development of hand/eye coordination for pruning with hand shears, pole pruners and loppers is required. Work will require workers to climb ladders to perform tasks. Planting: Responsible for planting field grown plant material. Workers must be able to use a shovel and be able to physically perform the required task. Workers must be conscious of the importance of getting young trees from the holding facility to the field and planted expeditiously to maximize the tree survival and growth. Proper consideration must be made for the proper planting depth and planting procedures. Staking: Responsible for staking field grown plant material, which involves forcing a stake into the ground next to a tree and using staking tape to tape the tree to the stake to ensure proper growth. This will also include removal of stakes by use of pipe wrench or stake puller to loosen stake prior to removing by hand after period of time set forth by management. Harvesting/Loading: Responsible for harvesting field grown plant material. Workers will be responsible for developing a knowledge and understanding of appropriate harvesting supplies including baskets, burlap, nails, crimpers, proper strapping and their locations in order to harvest trees. Workers must be able to utilize the proper strapping methods for different root balls as well as be able to assist others if needed. Will also be required to assist in loading extracted plant material onto trucks for transport to distribution area. Clearing: Responsible for clearing fields in preparation for planting. Workers will be responsible for picking up root pieces, rocks, trees & other debris left behind after clearing and placing debris into a loader bucket or designated debris area on the field for removal or burning. General Nursery Work: Workers may be required to assist in the maintenance and possible reparation of greenhouses and other nursery structures as needed. In addition, workers may be required to perform variable tasks such as the following: irrigation, ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, ground preparation, weeding and other tasks related to a nursery operation. Equipment: Workers may be required to operate different types of equipment used in the tree farming process, including but not limited to: Skid Steers, Boom Lifts, Brownie Lifts, ZTR Mowers, Weed Eaters, Kawasaki Mules and chain saws as well as daily use field trucks and tractors. Workers will be expected to be able to operate agricultural equipment with or without direction. Workers will assist in loading trucks with product weighing up to and including 60 pounds and lifting to a height of 5 feet for long periods of time. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, insect spray, related chemicals, etc. may affect workers' ability to perform the job. Workers are exposed to wet weather early in the morning through the heat of the day, working in fields. Temperatures may range from 0 to 115 F. Workers may be required to work during occasional showers not severe enough to stop field operations. Workers should be physically able to do the work required with or without reasonable accommodations.