Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse

at T Bell Detasseling in Champaign, Illinois, United States

Job Description

Workers will assist with agricultural services, including but not limited to detasseling, hand harvest, pollination, rogueing, hoeing weeds, removing volunteer plants from seed corn production fields, bagging ear corn, etc. Corn Detasselling: DURING DETASSELLING NO WORKER WILL BE ALLOWED TO BEGIN WORK WITHOUT THEIR ASSIGNED SAFETY GEAR: Workers will walk along assigned row of seed corn and removes remaining tassels from stalks on both sides of row. Care must be taken to remove tassel completely without damaging stalks. Perform any other duties involved in detasselling and rogueing of seed corn and maintenance of fields and production areas. Corn Rogueing & Weeding: Workers will walk seed fields to identify and remove rogue plants and discarding them as directed. Seed Corn Harvest & Sort: Workers will perform general duties associated with harvesting seed corn. Workers will help unload seed corn from trucks and trailers by hand and using a rake, watch the dryers, and may be requested to take corn samples and record weights. Workers will be sorting rouge ears of corn from transfer belt. Hand-Pollination: Workers will perform general duties associated with hand-pollination and hand harvesting of seed corn including but not limited to: Bagging the tassels, Collecting Pollen, Pollinating and Covering the ears. Farm Equipment Operation During Field Operations: Workers will be required to operate tractors and other farm equipment during field operations as an incidental activity in the production of crops. Before any worker is required to operate any farm equipment, the worker will be instructed in the proper and safe operation of tractor. Workers will be required to operate tractors according to instructions and in a manner that protects the operator, other workers, trees, crops, and equipment. Workers may be requested to perform minor and routine maintenance on farm vehicles and equipment. Repeated failure to obey operating and safety instructions may result in termination. Working Team leader: Some workers may act as working team leaders. These workers will report to the supervisor. These duties may include monitoring or directing the work of causal seasonal workers. Workers with proper licenses may be requested to use company vehicles to transport employers’ crops, tools, and fellow workers on public roads. Sanitation Requirements: For food and general personal safety purposes, all workers will be required and expected to follow common sanitary practices at all times. This is particularly critical when hand harvesting crops for human consumption. Employees are required to cleanse their hands by washing them thoroughly with soap and water after using the bathroom and before entering the fields for harvest activities or the packing facility for packing operations. Farm, Field and Camp Maintenance: All Workers will be responsible for picking up trash, cleaning bathrooms, sweeping floors and other farm, break room and camp cleaning and maintenance. Workers will perform post-harvest field cleanup. Workers will assist in preparing the fields for next season’s planting season. This may include applying liquid fertilizers. Workers will maintain fields during the growing season as shown; do planting, irrigation, and staking and stringing of plants. During certain duties, workers may be required to work in teams to accomplish a certain task. When engaged in team work activities workers must coordinate with other members of the team to accomplish the task.