Seasonal Greenhouse Worker / H2-A Greenhouse Worker

Spring Meadow Nursery Inc•Grand Haven, MI

3d•$14

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. All work is compensated at the hourly rate specified in the job order with the exception that workers may be paid more than the H2A hourly rates based on exceeding performance standards. Work performed at or below the base quantities will be paid the H2A hourly rate. Work performed above the base quantities will be paid the H2A hourly rate plus additional incentive based compensation. The incentive based compensation paid to workers who exceeded performance standards vary based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to crop yield, quality, size, difficulty of work. The employer may, in its sole discretion, suspend additional incentive based compensation and pay the applicable H2A hourly rate. Employer reviews historical performance to determine appropriate incentive rates and publishes annually. Raises and/or bonuses may be offered to any seasonal worker employed pursuant to this job order, at the company's sole discretion, based on individual factors including work performance, skill, and tenure. All terms and conditions included in the job order will apply equally to all workers, both U.S. workers and H-2A workers, employed in the occupation described in this job order. Secondary Duties (performed on less than half of workdays in contract period):

Requirements

Must be able to lift/carry 50 lbs.
Employer-paid post-hire and post-accident drug testing required.
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 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.
Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience.
Persons seeking employment in this position must be available for the entire period requested by the employer.
Workers must be able to comprehend and follow instructions and communicate effectively to supervisors.
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.

Responsibilities

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.
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.
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.
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.