Seasonal Equipment Operator

Seasonal Equipment Operator at Everglades Harvesting, Inc. (FL #1-PC) in Plant City, FL.

Workers will perform described job specifications as instructed by the Farm Manager or Crew Supervisor. Duties may vary from time to time and may include one or more of the following job specifications:

The total number of workers needed for this job opportunity is 100. However, groups of workers will arrive at different times. 50 workers will be needed starting 12/21/26, and the remaining 50 workers will start 03/22/2027. All workers will have the same end date (05/30/2027).

Harvesting Citrus: Workers will perform assigned duties as instructed by their supervisor. Duties may vary from time to time. Following the Supervisors instructions, the worker will place a picking sack over their shoulder and carry an 18' to 20' ladder from the field truck to the area of the grove to be harvested. The picking sack is a canvas bag equipped with a shoulder strap for support, an opening for the insertion of fruit, and an opening to remove fruit. A fully loaded sack weighs between approximately 80 and 100 pounds, depending upon the size, condition, and variety of fruit. Worker positions ladder against the tree and within reach of the fruit in a leaning position, taking care not to break limbs, damage the tree, knock off fruit, or interfere with other workers, in a secure position to prevent slipping or falling and possible injury to themselves or other workers. Worker will remove fruit from the tree and place into pick sack. When pick sack is full, take full sack to fruit tub located in the grove and drop fruit from pick sack into tub. In order to perform this kind of work, worker must be able to work outside for at least 6 hours a day in all kinds of weather and be in possession of the requisite physical strength and endurance to repeat the picking process rapidly, working quickly and skillfully with their hands, and carrying a large number of sacks of fruit from the area in which the fruit is being harvested to the location of the tub.

Grove Clean-up/General Farm Work: Workers may be required to perform miscellaneous grove clean- up work. These activities include pruning, painting trees, repair and or replace irrigation equipment, removal of debris, and other general grove clean-up work as required. Workers performing grove clean- up work will be paid the adverse effect wage rate, the prevailing rate or the minimum wage rate whichever is higher. Workers may need to assist in the use of farm equipment such as tractors, trucks and harvesting machinery, etc. Workers may also help with applying the new citrus greening treatment via trunk injections. The worker will place an arbor plug into each hole for proper seal with an arbor plug seter, and a rubber hammer. Workers will also do irrigation maintenance which includes changing out microjets and fixing breaks in the line.

Strawberry: Runner Cutting/Trimming: Workers will walk down row as instructed and cut/trim runners, leaves, and blooms as directed from each strawberry plant as necessary.

Freeze Protection Activities: May assist regardless of time of day, in keeping overhead irrigation rain birds free of ice during freezing weather.

Work begins December 21, 2026 and ends May 30, 2027.

Pay is $15 per hour.

Housing is provided.

Typical schedule: about 36 hours per week.