Nursery Worker

Job Overview

This position requires a minimum of 3 months of agricultural experience working in a nursery handling both manual and mechanized tasks, including agricultural field work associated with production of shrubs and trees. Applicants must be able to furnish a verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. Workers must be able to perform manual and mechanized tasks with accuracy and efficiency.

• Plant, cultivate, and harvest trees, shrubs, and sod.
• Plant or pot seedlings or liners by hand, including riding and inserting liners in a mechanical planter, using mattock or dibble.
• Prepare trees for digging by tying or wrapping as necessary; hand dig trees with shovel or tree spade.
• Load and unload plants on trailers.
• Perform general plant maintenance, prune, trim, space, transplant, and cull plants to ensure availability of marketable products.
• Irrigate and apply fertilizer.
• Pack, label, tag, pull, and store plants by variety.
• Count, grade, and inventory plants.
• Understand nursery quality control standards and have working knowledge of production procedures.
• Harvest crops according to specific standards and customer needs.
• Handle products carefully to prevent damage.
• Mow, cut, and weed fields; perform ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, ground preparation, and other manual tasks.
• Use hand tools including hoes, shovels, shears, clippers, loppers, and saws; lift, carry, and load/unload products or supplies.
• Operate power equipment including tractors, planters, mowers, plows, sprayers, cultivators, power shears, chain saws, high lifts, forklifts, and skid loaders.
• Operate agricultural equipment safely, with or without direction; clear debris, clean and maintain farm buildings, structures, equipment, and work areas.
• Assist with farm building/field maintenance and repairs; build and repair fences.
• Handle product weighing up to 60 pounds and lifting to a height of 5 feet.
• Work on feet in bent positions for long periods; repetitive movements and extensive walking.
• Work under varying weather conditions, including light rain, snow, moderate winds, direct sun, high humidity, and extreme temperatures.
• Be able to work during occasional showers and manage allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honey bees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related chemicals.
• Receive instructions from supervisors and communicate effectively; less routine activities may be supervised.
• Operate equipment in a manner that protects operator, visitors, other workers, products, trees, crops, and equipment.
• Obey all safety rules, pesticide warning/re-entry, and other essential postings; non‑compliance may result in termination.

• Minimum 3 months of relevant agricultural experience in a nursery setting.
• Ability to provide a verbal or written statement of prior work experience.
• Capacity to perform manual and mechanized tasks with accuracy and efficiency.