Job Duties
Start Date: 03/30/2026
End Date: 11/20/2026
Hours: 40 hours/week, Mon.-Fri. 8 hours/day, 6:30 A.M. - 3:30 P.M. Work hours may vary due to crop conditions, weather, or other operational factors.
The employer may request, but will not require, that workers work beyond the stated daily hours, including up to twelve (12) hours per day, and/or work on the Sabbath and/or Federal holidays.
Must Apply By: 07/26/2026
Job Duties: Load and deliver containerized and bare-root plants grown, harvested, and/or propagated by Bailey Nurseries using straight trucks, flatbeds, and curtain-side trailers. Adjust and secure plant racks in preparation for delivery. Safely operate tractor-trailers to shuttle freight between internal locations, complete customer deliveries, and assist with loading and unloading perishable plant material. Routes are local, with no regular overnight travel. All driving duties must be performed in accordance with company policies and all applicable DOT regulations. Driving and delivery duties will comprise approximately 60-70% of the position.
Workers may also perform duties related to nursery production and distribution in open growing fields and in environmentally controlled structures (ECS), including:
Assist supervisors in directing daily tasks and instructing workers in planting, cultivating, harvesting, grading, labeling, packing, and loading activities. May serve as a lead worker for small crews.
Fill containers or flats using automated soil-filling machinery. Place identification stakes, tags, and pricing information on finished products. Prune, pinch, and remove dead leaves, flowers, and leggy branches to maintain market-quality plants. Install ground cloth, shade cloth, and coverings on ECS structures. Maintain and operate heaters, irrigation booms, fans, and related ECS equipment. Install poly ventilation tubes and regulate temperature by adjusting thermostats, doors, and vents. Fertilize plants using irrigation hoses or booms.
Fill customer orders by locating plants, selecting quality products, placing them on carts, sleeving plants for shipment, verifying counts and quality, and ensuring accurate order fulfillment. Assist with sowing seeds in trays or field seedbeds.
Pull and prepare orders by selecting quality plants, tagging, labeling, grading, counting, and applying marketing materials. Perform pruning, quality control, dipping, drenching, and spraying of plants with pesticides or herbicides in accordance with safety regulations. Record inventory data using computerized systems, handheld devices, or spreadsheets. Prepare shipping paperwork. Mix soil and prepare growth media using skid steers or front-end loaders. Cover and uncover poly structures as needed.
Perform budding, grafting, grading, staking, tying, and harvesting of bare-root nursery stock. Assemble and disassemble warehouse storage bins. Inspect plants for disease or pest outbreaks. Monitor and adjust environmental controls. Conduct inventory counts and quality control inspections. Operate irrigation pumps and ensure proper watering based on crop requirements. Perform heavy manual labor and minor equipment adjustments, maintenance, or repairs. Operate agricultural machinery to harvest, rake, and bale Sudan grass used for winter protection.
Construct container sleeves and pot wraps for marketing purposes. Build and assemble bamboo trellises used in plant production. Return plants to the field that were incorrectly pulled, cancelled, damaged, or of poor quality. Maintain and repair signage identifying plant varieties. Enter planting and production records into computer systems. Remove, repair, and replace above-ground irrigation components. Erect hoop houses using mechanical jackhammers to set stabilization stakes. Irrigate plant material based on plant variety and climate conditions. Apply herbicides for weed control using backpack and mechanical sprayers. Take and stick unrooted softwood, hardwood, and tissue-culture cuttings, and divide perennial clumps.
Operate forklifts and tractors for cultivation and material handling. Pull wagons and trailers, back trailers, and operate skid steers, front-end loaders, pickups, small trucks, dump trucks, golf carts, ATVs, farm implements, and other machinery commonly used in wholesale nursery operations. Transport workers for nursery activities when properly licensed and authorized.
Worker must be available and willing to work the entire season.
Worker will be exposed to extreme temperatures and varying weather conditions.
Employer maintains a drug, and alcohol-free workplace.
Employer conducts a post-employment DOT physical, drug screen, background check and motor vehicle records check at no cost to the worker.
Minimum Education Required
No High School Diploma or GED required.
Minimum Experience Required
This position requires a minimum of twelve (12) months of experience operating a tractor-trailer.
Worker must be able to read, speak, and understand English sufficiently to communicate effectively with customers.
Worker must have the ability to recognize species and varieties of nursery stock and determine appropriate grades and quantities when selecting trees, shrubs, and perennials.
Worker must have, or be able to obtain, and maintain throughout employment a valid driver's license: Class A CDL or equivalent (no air brake or manual restrictions) within 30 days of start of employment.
Worker must comply with all applicable OSHA and USDOT regulations and safety requirements.
Worker must pass a post-employment road test to gauge driving ability.
Worker must be able to lift and carry items weighing up to 60 pounds. The position requires the ability to kneel, crouch, bend, reach, and lift and carry up to 60 pounds while performing assigned duties.
Worker must be able to perform work that requires exposure to extreme temperatures and weather conditions, extensive pushing or pulling, sitting or walking, frequent stooping or bending over, and repetitive movements.
Shift
First (Day)
Number of Openings
2
Public Transportation Accessible
No
Veterans Encouraged to Apply
Yes
Physical Required
Yes
Drug Test Required
Yes
Compensation
$29.86 / Hourly
Additional Compensation
As required for all workers in Minnesota, hours worked in excess of 48 hours in a work week will be paid at the rate of 1.5 times the regular rate of pay.
Raises and/or bonuses may be offered to any seasonal worker employed under this job order, at the company's sole discretion, based on individual factors including but not limited to work performance, skill, and tenure.
Postal Code
55055
Place of Work
On-site
Requisition ID
H-2A#26-307
Job Type
Full Time
Job Benefits
EMPLOYER ASSURANCES: Work guaranteed for 3/4 of contract period, starting with date of arrival at work site. Employer provides free housing for workers whose residence is beyond normal commuting distance. Employer pays inbound transportation and subsistence to work site upon 50% completion of work contract for workers whose residence is beyond normal commuting distance. Daily subsistence will be provided at a rate of at least $16.28 per day during travel to a maximum of $68.00 per day with receipts. Required work-related tools and supplies provided free of charge by employer.
Effective Jan 1, 2024, per MN State Statute, an employee will earn one hour of paid sick and safe time for every 30 hours worked, up to at least 48 hours of accrued Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) per year, provided the employee works a minimum of 80 hours in a calendar year.
Application Instructions
Send resume listing experience to:
MN DEED/FLC
Attn: H-2A#26-307
180 E. 5th St., Suite 1200, St. Paul, MN 55101
FAX: 651-297-7722
EMAIL: foreignlaborcertification.DEED@state.mn.us
CALL: Mary Garcia 651-259-7513
Must have proof of legal authority to work in U.S.
