Enable America Jobs

"This is a Temporary Position.  Dates of employment are From 3/1/2024 to  11/30/2024  *To apply: click on "I want to apply" and fax your resume/application to Luis Gomez-Ruiz or Jame Marchione at 717-334-3869.  Be sure to reference the job posting number (JO#19669331) on your resume/application.*  *All resumes/applications are reviewed and only those that match the job specifications are forwarded to the employer for consideration.  Must have 3 months verifiable experience. *Workers will prune trees to remove branches from apple, peach, and nectarine trees. Pruning occurs when trees are dormant before fruit appears, typically from February through April. Workers must be physically able to prune trees, most of which is done from ladders, with lower branches being pruned from the ground. When necessary, workers are required to prune using hand tools while balanced on ladders up to 14 ft. in length and weighing 25 to 40 pounds. Workers must be able to place ladder firmly against or within trees in a secure position so as not to break limbs, maintain balance while working at heights and to prevent slipping or falling. Workers must be knowledgeable about basic pruning concepts, including limb selection, different pruning cuts and when each is appropriate to use, ideal branch angles for training trees in order to improve sunlight distribution and influence crop yield while avoiding severe pruning. Workers use hand saws, pruning hooks, shears, and clippers to prune and manage growth of trees and remove dead branches, foster healing and impede decay by applying healing compound to pruning wounds. Workers will properly thin apple, peach, and nectarine trees. Fruit trees are thinned between May and July depending on crop/variety. Workers must be physically able to thin trees, most of which is done from ladders, with lower branches being thinned from the ground. When necessary, workers are required to handle fruit and thin using hand tools while balanced on ladders up to 14 ft. in length and weighing 25 to 40 pounds. Workers must be able to place ladder firmly against or within trees in a secure position so as not to break limbs, maintain balance while working at heights and to prevent slipping or falling. Workers must understand the basic principles of thinning and damaging effects of using improper techniques, removes injured, damaged, or small fruit to maximize quality yield. Must be proficient in judging the optimal number of fruit that can be carried based on the size of the limb, preventing over-thinning, and breaking up clusters of fruit. Work also may involve inserting/removing tree spreaders, removing invasive vegetation around trees, and placement of rodent baits. Workers will properly harvest apple, peach, and nectarine trees. Peach and nectarine trees are harvested between the end of June through the beginning of September, while apples are harvested during August through November. Workers must be physically able to harvest trees, most of which is done from ladders, with lower branches being harvested from the ground. Workers pick apples, peaches, and nectarines from trees for fresh market sale. Picking requires a basic understanding of fruit maturity indicators, such as background color, flesh color, firmness, seed color, and presence of watercore. Peach and nectarine trees are spot picked. Peach and nectarine fruit are also field graded. Employees will spot deficiencies in firmness, bruising, split-pit, etc, and appropriately separate graded fruit. Apple picking requires the ability to differentiate between several apple varieties that are spot picked, and later varieties that are often strip picked. Fruit is placed in metal-framed canvas covered picking bucket with canvas straps that slip over the head and rest on the shoulders. Workers empty the filled bucket, weighing up to 40 lbs into bulk bins.