Seasonal Greenhouse Worker

Spring Meadow Nursery Inc•Grand Haven, MI

17h•Onsite

About The Position

This job requires a minimum of 2 months of agricultural experience working at a nursery, orchard or vegetable farm, handling both manual and mechanized tasks associated with production of nursery stock, fruit or vegetables. Workers must be able to perform manual and mechanized tasks with accuracy and efficiency. Must be able to lift/carry 50 lbs. Employer-paid post-hire, and post-accident drug testing required. Work in nursery facility planting, cultivating, harvesting, and transplanting shrubs. Mow, cut, and weed fields. Plant, spray, weed, fertilize, and water shrubs, using hand tools and gardening tools. 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. Use power equipment including but not limited to: tractors, planters, mowers, plows, sprayers, cultivators, power shears, chain saws, high lifts, fork lifts, skid loaders, leaf blowers, and cart movers. Operate sorting machine. Must operate agricultural equipment safely, with or without direction. Install/maintain irrigation systems and water lines. Move and install irrigation pipes and equipment. Dig and maintain ditches. Apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other crop protectants. Mix and apply fertilizers, plant growth chemicals, conditioners, and other plant related treatments at the correct times depending on plant type, growth, climate and crop conditions. Clear debris from field and clean/maintain nursery buildings, structures, equipment, and work areas. Assist with nursery building/field maintenance and repairs. Prepare fields/soil for planting. Remove cull stock, debris, tree stumps, brush, ferns, vines and other growth from planting area using tractor, mattocks, brush hooks and/or axes. Plant, cultivate and maintain nursery stock and/or bedding plants in condition for shipping and sale to customers. Harvest plants, and transplant or pot and label them. Take cuttings according to specifications. Stick cuttings and transplant liners by hand or mechanical planter. Make flats by placing inserts or pots into trays and placing into soil filling machinery. Perform cleaning and sanitation procedures as required. Load/unload carts with plants and move to designated locations. Perform general plant maintenance. Prune, trim, space, transplant and cull plants to ensure availability of marketable products. Irrigate and apply fertilizer. Pack, label, tag, pull, and store plants by variety. Count, grade, and inventory plants. Prepare plants for digging by tying or wrapping as necessary. Dig plants. Must understand nursery quality control standards and have working knowledge of production procedures. Must harvest crops according to specific standards. Must be able to read plant tags, lists, and nursery locations. Products must be handled carefully to prevent damage. Pick, move and lay down plants for orders. Pack orders. Load and unload trucks. Construct landscape and vegetable beds. Remove and apply shade tarps to greenhouses. Operate tractors and other machinery and equipment to fertilize, cultivate, harvest, and spray fields and shrubs. Workers may be asked to complete paperwork as needed. Workers with computer experience may be asked to process orders. Work is done in the field for long periods of time. Workers may assist in handling product weighing up to 50 pounds and lifting to a height of 5 feet. Workers must work on their feet in bent positions for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking. Work required in fields when plants are wet with dew and rain, and may be required during light rain, snow, moderate winds, direct sun, high humidity and extreme temperatures. Temperatures in fields during working hours can range from 10 to over 100 degrees F. Workers may be required to work during occasional showers not severe enough to stop field operations. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honey bees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related chemicals may affect a worker’s ability to perform the job. Workers should be able to do the work required with or without reasonable accommodations. Workers that have been approved by the company’s insurance carrier may voluntarily drive company vehicles. Such workers that also obtain a valid doctor's certificate may voluntarily drive themselves and/or other workers between worksites. Supervisor(s) will provide instructions and directions to workers. Workers must be able to comprehend and follow instructions and communicate effectively to supervisors. Unusual, complex or non-routine activities will be supervised. Workers expected to perform basic duties in a timely and proficient manner without close supervision Workers must obey all safety rules and basic instructions and be able to recognize, understand and comply with safety, pesticide warning/re-entry and other essential postings. Workers must operate equipment, with or without direction, in a manner that protects operator, visitors, other workers, products, trees, crops and equipment. Failure to comply with safety requirements and operating instructions may result in termination. Non-supervisory nursery workers may demonstrate tasks to others. Designated workers may be responsible for acting as a liaison between the crew and the supervisor to communicate progress of production tasks and communicate work completed for the day. Performs any other duties involved in the production of nursery stock and maintenance of fields and other operational areas. Employer requires all newly-hired employees to take and pass an employer-paid drug test before starting work. Drug test not required for prospective applicants prior to hiring decision. All testing is conducted uniformly after an initial job offer has been extended and accepted by the new hire. Workers testing positive will be immediately terminated Persons seeking employment in this position must be available for the entire period requested by the employer. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. The employer may discipline the worker, including brief suspension of work activities/employment for a set period determined by the supervisor or termination of employment as described in the Work Rules.

Requirements

Minimum of 2 months of agricultural experience working at a nursery, orchard, or vegetable farm.
Experience handling both manual and mechanized tasks associated with production of nursery stock, fruit, or vegetables.
Ability to perform manual and mechanized tasks with accuracy and efficiency.
Ability to lift/carry 50 lbs.
Must be able to comprehend and follow instructions.
Must be able to communicate effectively to supervisors.
Must obey all safety rules and basic instructions.
Must be able to recognize, understand, and comply with safety, pesticide warning/re-entry, and other essential postings.
Must operate equipment safely.
Must be available for the entire period requested by the employer.
Ability to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience.
Ability to do the work required with or without reasonable accommodations.
Must pass an employer-paid drug test before starting work.

Nice To Haves

Computer experience (may be asked to process orders).

Responsibilities

Planting, cultivating, harvesting, and transplanting shrubs.
Mowing, cutting, and weeding fields.
Planting, spraying, weeding, fertilizing, and watering shrubs using hand and gardening tools.
Performing ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, and ground preparation.
Using hand tools such as hoes, shovels, shears, clippers, loppers, and saws.
Lifting, carrying, and loading/unloading products or supplies.
Using power equipment including tractors, planters, mowers, plows, sprayers, cultivators, power shears, chain saws, high lifts, forklifts, skid loaders, leaf blowers, and cart movers.
Operating a sorting machine.
Operating agricultural equipment safely.
Installing and maintaining irrigation systems and water lines.
Moving and installing irrigation pipes and equipment.
Digging and maintaining ditches.
Applying pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other crop protectants.
Mixing and applying fertilizers, plant growth chemicals, conditioners, and other plant-related treatments.
Clearing debris from fields and cleaning/maintaining nursery buildings, structures, equipment, and work areas.
Assisting with nursery building/field maintenance and repairs.
Preparing fields/soil for planting.
Removing cull stock, debris, tree stumps, brush, ferns, vines, and other growth from planting areas.
Planting, cultivating, and maintaining nursery stock and/or bedding plants.
Harvesting plants, and transplanting or potting and labeling them.
Taking cuttings according to specifications.
Sticking cuttings and transplanting liners by hand or mechanical planter.
Making flats by placing inserts or pots into trays and placing into soil filling machinery.
Performing cleaning and sanitation procedures.
Loading/unloading carts with plants and moving them to designated locations.
Performing general plant maintenance.
Pruning, trimming, spacing, transplanting, and culling plants.
Irrigating and applying fertilizer.
Packing, labeling, tagging, pulling, and storing plants by variety.
Counting, grading, and inventorying plants.
Preparing plants for digging by tying or wrapping.
Digging plants.
Understanding nursery quality control standards and production procedures.
Harvesting crops according to specific standards.
Reading plant tags, lists, and nursery locations.
Handling products carefully to prevent damage.
Picking, moving, and laying down plants for orders.
Packing orders.
Loading and unloading trucks.
Constructing landscape and vegetable beds.
Removing and applying shade tarps to greenhouses.
Operating machinery and equipment to fertilize, cultivate, harvest, and spray fields and shrubs.
Completing paperwork as needed.
Processing orders (for those with computer experience).
Working in the field for long periods.
Assisting in handling product weighing up to 50 pounds and lifting to a height of 5 feet.
Working on feet in bent positions for long periods.
Performing repetitive movements and extensive walking.
Working in fields with wet plants, light rain, snow, moderate winds, direct sun, high humidity, and extreme temperatures.
Voluntarily driving company vehicles (if approved by insurance carrier).
Voluntarily driving self and/or other workers between worksites (if approved by insurance carrier and possess valid doctor's certificate).
Comprehending and following instructions and communicating effectively to supervisors.
Performing basic duties in a timely and proficient manner without close supervision.
Obeying all safety rules and basic instructions.
Recognizing, understanding, and complying with safety, pesticide warning/re-entry, and other essential postings.
Operating equipment in a manner that protects operator, visitors, other workers, products, trees, crops, and equipment.
Demonstrating tasks to others (non-supervisory workers).
Acting as a liaison between the crew and supervisor to communicate progress and work completed (designated workers).
Performing any other duties involved in the production of nursery stock and maintenance of fields and other operational areas.