Job Information
Van De Walle Fruit Farm, LLC Agricultural Equipment Operators in Sodus, New York
20 Fulltime H-2A Seasonal Jobs available 03/29/2024- 11/24/2024.
Crops/Commodities: apples.
This job requires a minimum of 3 months of prior experience working in tree fruit orchards, handling both manual and machine tasks associated with commodity production and harvest activities. Workers must be able to perform manual as well as mechanized activities with accuracy and efficiency. Workers will manually plant root stock, cultivate and harvest apples. Use hand tools, including but not limited to, shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, shears and knives. Duties include tilling soil and applying fertilizers, transplanting, weeding, thinning or pruning crops; applying pesticides or herbicides; cleaning and loading harvested products. There are no packing duties involved. Construct trellises, repair fences and farm buildings or participate in irrigation activities. Repair and maintain farm vehicles, implements and mechanical equipment. Clear and maintain irrigation ditches. Record information about crops, such as pesticide use, yields or costs.
Prune trees seasonally to promote optimum growth of tree and fruit. Gathers pruned branches from area for disposal. Performs summer pruning and suckering by cutting terminal growth and water sprouts from inside of tree using hand pruner. Thins trees from orchard to eliminate diseased or nonproductive trees using chain saw.
Pick apples for fresh market and/or processing. Worker places ladder firmly against or within tree in a secure position so as not to break limbs or knock off fruit and to prevent slipping or falling. All fruit to be handled with care to avoid causing bruising. Apples injured by bruising during picking shall not exceed 0% (WNY) for fresh and 1% (WNY) for processing. Each worker's picked fruit will be inspected according to instructions given each day by the orchard foreman. Workers will be directed to strip all fruit from tree at one picking or to spot pick (selective picking) according to size and color depending on crop conditions and state of maturity. Fruit picked as drops is never mixed with tree fruit. Productivity must be at least 4 bins (80 bushels) fresh market and/or 6 bins (120 bushels) processing fruit per day.
Workers drive/operate tractors. Workers will be instructed in safety and operation of the tractor before driving/operating. Tractors should be driven in a manner to protect operator, other workers, trees, crops and equipment.
Requirements: * A minimum of 3 months of prior experience working in tree fruit orchards * Must be able to lift a minimum of 60 pounds * Employer-paid post-hire upon suspicion and post-accident drug testing * Exposure to extreme temperatures * Extensive pushing/pulling/sitting/walking, frequent stooping, and repetitive movements
The full terms and conditions of the job (form ETA790a) should be reviewed and provided to qualified applicants from this website: seasonaljobs.dol.gov. For qualified applicants requiring a Spanish translation of this job order, please email DIPA@labor.ny.gov or call 1-877-466-9757. Please include the applicant name and job order number in your request.