This is a full-time, temporary position located in Petoskey, Michigan.
Performs a variety of manual and equipment operation tasks in a nursery operation.
This job requires a minimum of three months (480 hours) of prior experience working in a nursery with extensive ball and burlap (B&B) field harvesting. Workers must be able to perform all duties of entry level workers as well as perform additional mechanized activities with accuracy and efficiency.
Duration of job is 03/23/2015 - 11/15/2015. Must be available for the entire period.
Hours per week: 40
Licensed housing will be provided without cost to workers who cannot reasonably return to their permanent residence at the end of the workday.
All tools, supplies and equipment will be provided by the employer at no cost to workers.
Jobs may include any combination of planting, cultivating, hoeing, propagating, transplanting, fertilizing, pruning, spacing, preparing soil, weeding, spraying and watering, tagging, mowing, loading/unloading trucks. Uncover and/or recover winter storage houses. Load/unload trucks and wagons. Perform any other duties involved in the maintenance of plant materials and nursery stock. Workers will require minimal supervision.
Take inventory and grade plants, prepare trees and shrubs for digging by tying or wrapping as necessary; dig; wrap burlap or other covering around root balls and secure with twine and/or staples; crimp wire baskets; lift, carry and load nursery stock; and unload, move or load supplies including wire baskets. Prepare fields for planting by clearing cull stock, brush and debris; plant seedlings or 'liners' by hand (including riding and inserting liners in a mechanical planter); hand dig, load, unload or transplant bare-root nursery stock; straighten, tie, prune and shear trees and shrubs; cut, pull, or remove and mow weeds or grass; move irrigation equipment; apply agricultural chemicals: herbicides and insecticides and apply fertilizer.
In addition, workers may be required to perform variable tasks such as a the following: irrigation, ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, ground preparation, weeding and other tasks related to a nursery operation.
Work may also include mechanized field work using power equipment. By way of example and not limitation power equipment may include tractors, planters, sprayers, cultivators, tree spades and other equipment. Workers will be expected to be able to operate agricultural equipment with or without direction.
Work is to be done for long periods of time. Workers are expected to perform duties including boxing, weighing and loading of product. Workers will assist in loading trucks with packaged product weighing up to and including 60 pounds and lifting to a height of 5 feet for long periods of time. Workers should be able to work on their feet in bent positions for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking. 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 10 to 100 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.
Valid driving license and clean driving record required to drive company vehicles.
