Agriculture, Forestry & Agricultural Equipment Operator

Job duties

Original text, as filed with the Department of Labor.

All applicants must be able, willing, and qualified to perform the work described in this job description and must be available for the entire period of employment specified in box A.3 & A.4. This work order is for qualified people with 1-month prior experience performing agricultural work and working in a commercial scale maple sugaring operation. Workers must be willing to work in cold weather as low as 10 degrees F and work on snow covered ground up to 3 feet. Workers will use precision tree-sap tapping equipment, operate agricultural equipment to include tractor with loader and rear mounted attachments, UTV, and/or pick-up truck; and chainsaw. Workers may operate trucks or other multi-purpose vehicles to transport workers from housing (whether on or off farm) to the farm properties; haul tools, supplies, or crops; transport workers from place to place around the farm properties during the workday (including on public roads to reach farmer's fields); and/or transport workers to the grocery store, bank, or laundry facilities on an as-needed basis. Those that are requested to drive will be required to possess a valid driver's license, no worker will be rejected for not having a driver's license. Workers will be compensated at the correct rate of pay for all hours worked, including when they are performing the employer’s obligation of driving. This position involves precision coring of "tap-holes" in trees; precision insertion and setting of spouts; crimping, cutting, and connecting food-grade flexible tubing; and installation and repairing of various diameter food-grade flexible pipe/tubing up to 3". Workers will clear brush install, replace and maintain & remove tubing systems, tap maple trees, evaluate health of sugar maples for potential sap production, monitor sap flow level in tubing, set and monitor filter press, pull taps at the end of the season and clean equipment on a regular basis. Work requires long periods of standing, bending and kneeling. Additional duties include harvesting of wild ramps, Balsam fir branches, and other non-timber forest products (such as nuts, seeds, berries, mushrooms, etc.), using small hands tools and bare hands to harvest these products into small containers. Workers must be able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds. Employer will furnish to workers without cost all tools and equipment required to perform duties assigned. Workers may be required to work 8 hours shift within the hours of 7:00am to 7:00pm from Monday through Friday. This schedule totals 40 hours per week. The 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. range reflects the seasonal and weather-dependent nature of maple tapping operations, including variability in sap flow and collection conditions. This flexibility ensures workers can complete their required weekly hours while responding to daily production needs. Workers will not be scheduled to work a full 12-hour shift. Workers may offer additional hours beyond the standard schedule, subject to the mutual agreement of the workers and management. Workers will be given a 30 minute mid-morning and mid-afternoon break, and a 1-hour lunch break, staggered between 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., as determined by both the workers and management. Workers may choose where to eat their lunch and must return to work after the 1-hour break. The daily and weekly work schedules may vary due to weather conditions, temperature, sap flow, forest conditions, equipment needs, or other factors related to maple production. The employer will notify workers of any changes to the schedule. The employer will provide one day of training and two days of work to demonstrate satisfactory performance of the duties described in this work order. Workers must be able to read and write in English at a 3rd grade level in the United States. Workers must be able to consistently follow established safety protocols while operating machinery, using tools, and performing assigned duties.

Requirements

Benefits and conditions