Citrus Workers
Employer: Fresh Harvest, Inc.
Location: Porterville, CA
Workers needed: 66
Pay: $16.90/hour
Season: Oct 19, 2026 – May 30, 2027
Experience: 2 months
Employer-provided housing; Transportation provided/reimbursed
The job
H-2A and corresponding domestic workers must be available to perform each of the following job activities in connection with the harvesting and farming operations:
Citrus Worker (lemons, oranges, mandarins, and grapefruits), Tree Pruning, General Labor, Tractor Driver, Forklift Driver, QC, Prepare freshly harvested crop for shipment, General Farm Labor / General Ranch Maintenance to perform the following duties:
Under the direction of the field supervisor, the worker picks up a ladder using the arms and leans it against the citrus tree. The worker carries an empty sack around the neck and upper body to place the harvested product. The worker also holds a pair of clippers in his/her hand to clip fruit (there is no manual handling / pulling of the citrus fruit as this will severely damage the crop). Climbing up the ladder, the worker grabs the product, clips it and places it in the sack. Full sacks weigh between 50 and 80 lbs. Once the sack is full, the workers descend the ladder and walk for approximately 5-30 feet and dump the sack into a bin. The cycle is repeated until the end of the shift. Prepares freshly harvested crop for shipment.
Tree Pruning: Under the direction of the field supervisor, the worker goes into the field and is assigned their own line of trees to prune. They wear leather gloves, and also carry with them a pair pruning shears and a hand saw (can be powered by gas) and uses both to trim the unwanted branches or debris from the tree. As the worker advances from tree to tree, the large pieces falling off from the it are taken out and are placed to the side next to the irrigation lines, the rest is moved into the road. Cycle repeats until all the trees are cleaned. On a separate process workers using a rake like tool pile up the debris on the road and a machine passes through it to break it down. Cycle repeats. Lastly workers perform weeding of the field, using long hand held hoe.
Forklift Driver Specifications: The Forklift driver is responsible for inspecting the forklift. Forklift drivers use knobs and levers to operate the forklift. Duties include the transferring and stacking of bins full of product onto the trailer. The employee works in an area that consists of 300 ft. in radius. Cycle is repeated.
Tractor Driver Specifications: The tractor driver is responsible for inspecting the tractor. Duties include getting in and out of the fields. The tractor driver takes empty bins, goes into the lot and sets them throughout the lot for workers to fill with product. The tractor driver gets in and out of the field as bins are set. Once workers fill up the bin, the tractor driver gets into the lot to take out the bins full of product. The tractor driver takes them out of the field and once out the field, a forklift transfers the product into the trailer. Cycle is repeated.
General Ranch Maintenance / General Farm Labor includes, but is not limited to, on the farm road maintenance and dust control to farm roadways by means of farm equipment.
Housing: Rental or public accommodations
Meals: Employer will offer all workers residing in the employer-provided housing with 3 meals a day, 7 days per week, at a reasonable cost not to exceed $16.78 for three meals per day (or higher when/if the Department of Labor publishes the new maximum meal deduction rate and/or approves a higher meal charge at the employer’s request).* Breakfast and a packed lunch are distributed to each worker at a designated area with tents, tables, and chairs. Dinner will be served at the same designated area when the workers return from work. The workers also have the option of eating in their room. All meals provided (by Antonio Gutierrez dba A&G Valley, Inc. () will meet the nutritional and dietary guidelines.
*Employer will request a higher meal charge of $17.50 for three meals per day to the Department of Labor - National Processing Center.
Transport: Inbound/OutboundTransportation: The following provisions pertaining to provision or reimbursement for inbound and outbound transportation and subsistence apply only to persons recruited from outside normal commuting distance.
Experience wanted: 2 months
Requirements: 2-month of experience working with citrus trees/plants required. Written verification of experience is required. Cannot be color blind due to the need to distinguish colors of the product. Must be able to use shears, clippers and other agricultural tools (i.e., hand saw (can be powered by gas)); no smoking, illegal drugs, alcohol, or weapons of any sort in the housing or work fields. Worker safety on the job and in employer-provided housing is our top priority. Workers may not possess, consume, or be under the influence of alcohol, cannabis, illegal drugs, or other controlled substances at the worksite or in the employer-provided housing. Fighting, including but not limited to, verbal, physical, or through social media or texts, and any threats or act of violence, and/or disruptive behavior against another individual or against property will not be tolerated, particularly acts of violence committed while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
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