Farmworkers and Laborers
Employer: SM Hernandez & Sons, Inc. (Petition 3)
Location: Loudon, TN
Workers needed: 40
Pay: $13.15/hour
Season: Nov 20, 2026 – Jun 20, 2027
Employer-provided housing; Transportation provided/reimbursed
The job
A mushroom picker is responsible for carefully harvesting, sorting, and packaging mushrooms on farms or in climate-controlled indoor growing facilities.
Core Responsibilities
• Harvesting: Select and pick ripe mushrooms by hand at the correct stage of growth, using gentle twisting or cutting motions to avoid bruising or damaging the produce.
• Sorting and Grading: Inspect mushrooms for quality, size, and ripeness, and discard any rotting, damaged, or over-ripened items.
• Packaging: Weigh, sort, and pack mushrooms cleanly into designated containers, boxes, or crates for distribution.
• Maintenance and Hygiene: Clean work areas, sanitize tools and racks, and adhere strictly to food safety and hygiene protocols
. Farm Support: Assist with planting mushroom spores, managing bed preparation, watering crops, and loading containers for transport as needed.
Workers will perform general farm labor and other farm related activities. Clean and maintain work areas. Assist with Good Agricultural Practices policies. Workers are expected to posses the skill work in the production of crops listed. Workers must adhere to all safety rules as instructed by the supervisor. Workers must take care to handle tools, equipment, and produce in a manner to avoid injury or damage. The employer will comply with all federal, state, and local safety requirements. Operational specifications can change during the season due to crop or market condition. Workers will be expected to conform to the specific instructions given for each day’s work. Instructions and general supervision will be provided by the employer or a designated employee. Workers will have close supervision to ensure adherence to instructions. Work will be closely monitored and reviewed for quality. Daily individual work assignments, crew assignments and location of work will be made by the employer or designated employees as the needs of the operation dictate. Workers may be assigned a variety of duties in any given and different tasks on different days.
Housing: Rental or public accommodations
Meals: The employer will offer three hot meals per day (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner) and will charge the workers $16.78 per day ($117.46 per week). Subject to change with the publication of new rates by the OFLC in the Federal Register. Meal charges are subject to limitations and recordkeeping obligations. Workers will be receiving their meals from Monterey Cafeteria. When workers are not working, it is the responsibility of the employer to offer workers three meals per day. Free transportation in an approved vehicle, bus/van/car/truck, will be provided at least once each week for errands, purchases of non-perishable food items at the grocery store and/or laundry, if workers choose to do so.
Transport: Inbound: Employer will provide and pay for lodging in consulate city, a charter bus/van/car/truck/public transportation or plane (travel insurance may be required), to the place of employment from the place from which the worker has come to work for the employer.
Experience wanted: 0 months
Workers must be 18 years or older. It is recommended that you have experience with Agricultural Equipment and knowledge of Agricultural Field work due to safety reasons related to possible equipment injury, heat stroke possibility, and food safety. The employer may conduct a criminal background checks on all new applicants for employment. (Owners Expense) All tools, supplies, and equipment will be provided at no cost to workers. Lifting requirement of up to 40lbs. Workers may stand in one place for any period of time. Workers must be able to climb, stand, sit, stoop, squat, kneel, crouch, bend (from the waist), push, pull, reach and lift. Work is performed in outdoor agricultural fields and involves exposure to sun, wind, rain, soil, mud, dust, heat, cold and other natural elements.
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