Agricultural Equipment Operator

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Crops/Commodities: potatoes.

Driving tractors and planters, will plant, cultivate, and harvest

potatoes. Workers will drive and operate one or more GPS equipped farm

machines, such as tractors, Bottom Switch plows, Grimme planters,

Windrowers, line equipment with holding tanks, dry brushers, grading

tables, harvesters, pumps, tilling equipment, holding tanks,

case-loaders, pivots, pilers, windrowers, Dammer Dykes (cultivators) and

other mechanized, electrically powered or motor-driven equipment, on

farms or in farm equipment repair shops. Workers will operate the farm

machinery, equipment and vehicles. Workers will be instructed in the

safety and operation of the equipment before driving the equipment.

Workers will be expected to be able to operate equipment, with or

without direction, in a manner that protects the operator, visitors,

other employees, crops, trees, facilities and equipment. Failure to

comply with operating and safety standards may result in termination.

This is a very demanding and competitive business in which quality

specifications must be rigorously adhered to. The equipment workers will

be operating and maintaining is expensive and dangerous. Workers are

expected to follow the employer\'s requests to not only prevent damage

to the equipment, but to also prevent injuries to workers. Any equipment

damaged by a worker\'s failure to follow instructions or damaged due to

malice will be charged to the worker.

Workers may hitch soil conditioning implements, such as plow or harrow

to tractor, and operate tractor and towed implement to furrow and grade

soil. Workers will drive tractors and operate designated towed machines,

such as drill or manure spreader, to plant, fertilize and dust crops.

Prepares harvesting machine by adjusting speeds of cutters, blowers and

conveyors and height of cutting head or depth of digging blades

according to type, height, weight and condition of crop being harvested,

and contour of terrain. Attaches towed or mounted-type harvesting

machine to tractor using hand tools or drives self-propelled harvesting

machine to cut, pull up, dig, thresh, clean, chop, bag or bundle crops.

Workers will perform irrigation activities, including setting up, moving

and maintaining irrigation pipes and equipment.

Adjusts and lubricates machines and equipment to ensure efficient

operation.

Workers will be required to prepare farm land for planting. This

includes removing trash, trees, stumps, rocks and any other debris or

material that will interfere with planting and harvesting crops. Workers

will be required to dig ditches for the installation of pipe and to

prevent erosion. Workers may be required to pile the debris up for

burning. Workers may be required to operate rakes for root and limb

removal. Workers may operate dozers, tractors, front end loaders,

bobcats and various other pieces of land clearing equipment. Workers may

be required to level land by moving dirt from one location to another

using equipment.

Workers with a clean driving record (no major moving violations such as

but not limited to Driving While Intoxicated or Reckless Driving) and

possessing or able to obtain an insurable driver\'s license may drive

company vehicles. Workers with appropriate licenses may transport other

workers to and from employer-provided housing directly to worksites each

day and may transport workers around farms during the workday, may

transport crops, supplies, tools and/or equipment/supplies between

employer\'s farm locations, on private or public roads. Workers do not

deliver to customers. Workers may drive multi-purpose vehicles that have

a capacity of less than 13 tons, require a standard driver\'s license to

operate, and may be used on or off farm by the workers (e.g., drive to

the grocery store, bank etc. at their discretion).