Job Information
Knight Vineyards Farmworker in Ripley, New York
11 full time, seasonal, H-2A positions available 11/10/2024-5/31/2025.
Crops/Commodities: grapes, peaches.
Mow, cut, and weed fields. 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. Must operate agricultural equipment safely, with or without direction. Assist with farm building/field maintenance and repairs. Repair fences. Assist with cleaning power equipment, power washing shop and general maintenance of shop.
Thinning: Hand thin to control the size and quality of fruit. Remove fruit blossom, bud and/or identifiable fruit from within a cluster of other fruits. Must accurately identify and remove misshapen, damaged or otherwise unmarketable fruit. Pruning: Hand pruning based on fruit variety. Use manual and mechanized pruning tools and equipment. Identify and remove stubs or broken branches, downward-growing branches, branches rubbing against each other, shaded interior branches, dead wood and shoots-suckers.
Use/handle ladders up to 12 ft. in length and weighing up to 40 lbs. or perform work on motorized platform. Supervisors will explain and demonstrate picking requirements to all workers at the start of the season and as needed thereafter to ensure quality standards. Bruised or damaged fruit will be noted by supervisor(s) in a post-inspection quality report. Supervisors may issue written disciplinary notice to workers with a significant number of culls, bruised, or damaged fruit. Repeated failure to follow quality control instructions may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. Plant, cultivate, and harvest grapes. Performs tasks under supervision in vineyard/winery operation. Thin fruit and remove shoots and vines. Performs vineyard maintenance activities, including mowing and weeding. Install and maintain vine trellises. Tie vines to trellises.
Must possess the requisite skills and knowledge of what, when, where and how much to prune on a grape vine. Identify and remove the proper canes and vines while retaining the fruiting wood and renewal spurs. Must demonstrate and consistently utilize pruning practices that assure vine balance and preserve vine health. Manage vineyard canopy management to permit light and air circulation. Install and maintain bird netting. May perform general tasks relative to vineyard and winery operation when work in vineyard is not available. May assist with planting vines.
Requirements: * Minimum of 3 months of agricultural experience, preferably working in a vineyard handling both manual and mechanized tasks, preferably including pruning and, thinning and harvesting activities. * Lifting requirement of 60 pounds. * Repetitive movements, extensive walking, frequent stooping/bending, extensive pushing/pulling. * Exposure to extreme temperatures. * Workers with clean driving record and/or insurable driver's license may be required to drive company vehicles.
The full terms and conditions of the job (form ETA790a) should be reviewed and provided to qualified applicants from this website: seasonaljobs.dol.gov. For qualified applicants requiring a Spanish translation of this job order, please email DOCE@labor.ny.gov or call 1-877-466-9757. Please include the applicant name and job order number in your request.