Potential H2A job order. 7 temporary/permanent Ag Equipment Operators needed for 03/20/2026 to 12/19/2026. Crops/Commodities: apples. This job requires a minimum of 3 months of agricultural experience working in a fruit farm or orchard handling both manual and mechanized tasks including operating agricultural equipment associated with production of apples. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. Workers may operate tractors, forklifts, bushhogs/mowers, sprayers and other farm equipment. Workers will perform cleaning, maintenance and repair of tractors, machinery and equipment. Workers will be expected to be able to operate orchard equipment, with or without direction, in a manner that protects the operator, visitors, other employees, crops, trees, facilities and equipment. Workers with appropriate licenses may operate general purpose vehicles to transport workers, equipment and product from one orchard location or facility to another on farm. Orchard equipment operation tasks may continue throughout the season. Mow, cut, and weed fields. Prepare and/or clear land for planting using mechanized or hand equipment to remove trash, rocks, or other debris or material that may interfere with planting or harvesting activities. Level land by moving dirt and other materials. Equipment may include tractors, dozers, planters, mowers, plows, sprayers, cultivators, power shears, chainsaws, bobcats, skid loaders, high lifts, and trucks or other vehicles. Manipulate controls to set, activate, and adjust mechanisms on machinery. Adjust speeds of cutters, blowers, and conveyors and height of cutting head. Clean, adjust, repair, and perform routine service on equipment (e.g., lubricating grease points, inspecting and maintaining fluid levels, checking belt and conveyor tensions, and maintaining tires, wheels, bearings, belts, and other wear parts). Repair or replace defective parts. Attach farm implements (e.g., plows, harrows, discs, sprayers) using hand tools. May assist with other general farm maintenance or repairs. Install/maintain irrigation systems and water lines. Move and install irrigation pipes and equipment. Dig and maintain ditches. Install and remove levee gates. Apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other crop protectants. Apply fertilizers, plant growth chemicals, conditioners, and other plant related treatments at the correct times depending on plant @type, growth, climate and crop conditions. Workers must operate all equipment properly and in a manner that protects operator, others, the employer's products and property. Failure to comply with safety requirements and operating instructions may result in disciplinary action up to and including immediate termination. Fruit tree pruning Workers may also be required to work in orchard performing both manual and machine tasks associated with pruning and fruit tree cultivation. Careful pruning requires knowledge of what to prune, how much to prune and fruit trees' growth habits. The primary reason for pruning fruit trees is to improve fruit quality and increase crop marketability and value. Apple production requires regular tree maintenance and pest management to produce quality fruit. Workers are expected to possess or acquire pruning skills in order to be able to identify and remove stubs or broken branches, downward-growing branches, branches which rub against each other, shaded interior branches, dead wood and shoots/suckers with hand pruning saws and clippers, mechanized clippers and pole pruners. Occasionally workers may be required to use chain saws and other mechanized equipment in pruning activities. Workers must be able to perform all activities with accuracy and efficiency. Workers must possess proficiency with both hand tools and mechanical pruning equipment. Must wear assigned personal protective equipment when required. Must report for work daily wearing work clothing and boots or other durable foot wear. Employer makes all payroll deductions required by law. Employer does not envision other workforce-wide payroll deductions. Voluntary deductions must be pre-authorized in writing and may include the following: Voluntary advances and/or loans made to workers, if any, may be repaid by pre-authorized payroll deductions. Employer deducts reasonable fair market value cost of rent/utilities based on number of occupants for workers electing to reside in employer-arranged housing (cost TBD). Employer may deduct retirement/savings plan contributions and/or health insurance premiums for workers voluntarily participating in plan(s). All deductions from the worker's paycheck required by law will be made. Employer pays in advance or reimburses workers in the first workweek for all government-mandated and visa-related fees (excluding passport fees). For non-local workers (i.e., residing outside normal commuting distance), employer reimburses inbound travel costs at the 50% point in the contract (unless paid in advance). Inbound travel includes transportation costs from workers permanent residence or place of recruitment, a daily meal subsistence (based on rates required by law, currently $15.88 per day minimum or $59.00 per day maximum for workers with acceptable receipts), and reasonable lodging costs, if applicable. Travel reimbursements based on least-cost common carrier rate. Employer provides or pays outbound travel costs upon completion of the contract period or early dismissal, except where the worker has subsequent employment. Employer guarantees to offer hours equal to at least three-fourths of the workdays in each 12-week period of the total contract period, beginning with the workers first workday and ending on the contract end date or any extension thereof. Employer may count all hours worked, as well as any hours offered within the standard work schedule that a worker chooses to not work, up to the maximum number of daily hours on the job order. Workers who voluntarily abandon employment are not entitled to payment for outbound travel costs or the full three-fourths period guarantee described above. JOB Location: 8860 E Lake Rd Harborcreek, Pennsylvania 16421---- Note: In view of the statutorily established basic function of the Employment Service (ES) as a no-fee labor exchange, that is, as a forum for bringing together employers and job seekers, neither the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) nor the State Workforce Agency (SWA)s are guarantors of the accuracy or truthfulness of information contained on job orders submitted by employers. Nor does any job order accepted or recruited upon by the ES constitute a contractual job offer to which the ETA or a SWA is in any way a party;
