Agricultural Equipment Operator
Employer: Thomas Trost Farms
Location: LENOX, IA
Workers needed: 1
Pay: $20.00/hour
Season: Dec 14, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027
Experience: 3 months
Employer-provided housing; Transportation provided/reimbursed
The job
Farm Machinery Operation: Drive and operate farm machinery to cultivate, plant, harvest, and store grain crops. Attach and detach farm implements such as plows, discs, and drills to tractors. Set up, calibrate, and optimize equipment to perform operations as needed.
Equipment Maintenance: Perform general lubrication and service checks (e.g., check fluids) on farm machinery. Conduct mechanical repairs to ensure machinery operates efficiently.
Transportation: Transport produce, water, and supplies to fields, elevators, and/or storage locations. Per state regulations, no commercial CDL is required for farm trucking. No heavy truck driving that requires a CDL is involved. An Operator License Class D is required; candidates will have 60 days to obtain this license.
Manual Labor: Perform various manual labor tasks, including upkeep and maintenance of farm facilities. Assist with general farm duties such as cleaning, organizing, and maintaining the farm environment, facilities, and animals.
Regulatory Compliance: Adhere to all local and federal regulations regarding work hours and breaks.
Machinery repair and maintenance. Going thoroughly through the planters and air seeds to prepare for spring planting. Servicing tractors and detailing them from clean up from harvest and preparation for planting season.
Power washing and detail work on combines and grain carts from harvest.
Tree removal and farm maintenance to include intake repair/replace, mowing, debris removal, terrace repair with skid steer and dozer.
Snow removal
Assisting with moving augers and loading semi-trailers with grain for transport.
Spreading gravel in driveways and parking areas
Due to the rural setting and scale of operations, the ability to drive farm equipment and on-road vehicles is critical to maintaining efficient harvest and operational logistics.
OTHER GENERAL JOB DUTIES:
Performing tasks, general farm duties as assigned by fixing fence, moving and baling hay, cutting trees, planting forage crops as directed, irrigating and applying fertilizer or chemicals as directed, and plowing, cultivating, and harvesting plantings. Assisting with farm maintenance and debris removal along with loading and unloading trucks during winter months to transfer grain.
Performing regular and directed field maintenance by mowing using riding mowers or tractors and gasoline-powered trimmers or chain saws, clearing brush, and setting up, adjusting, repairing, and cleaning irrigation systems.
Safely operates light vehicles and farm machinery such as pick-up trucks, tractors, riding mowers, plows, mowers, and disc harrows.
Safely operates various types of farm equipment such as post augers, post drivers, portable power tools such as gasoline-operated power tools, sprayers, trimmers, and chain saws, electrically operated drills and saws, and gas or electrically operated welders.
Applying chemicals used in farming and ranching properly and safely by following either written or verbal directions for mixing chemical compounds according to specifications, wearing prescribed protective clothing, masks, and rubber boots and gloves, applying the chemicals properly as directed on items designated for their use, disposing of residual chemical products as directed or storing them for future use, and recording the application of such chemical compounds.
Ensuring that farm machinery, equipment, & tools are operational by performing routine and preventative maintenance and cleaning farm machinery, equipment, & tools and making minor repairs within demonstrated capability
The work day may begin/end earlier or later on any given day and evening. The typical workweek is Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Occasional nights and weekends may be required, depending on weather conditions and business needs.
Duties will vary
Housing: Employer-provided (including mobile or range)
Meals: The housing unit has a full-size kitchen with a stove, cooktop, and refrigerator. Eating and prep utensils are provided, etc. Workers with valid driver's licenses may be allowed, with the Employer's permission, to use an employer's vehicles, insured by the Employer, with which they transport themselves to/from the grocery store and shop for other supplies any time they wish outside of duty hours. The employer will transport workers without a valid driver's license to/from the grocery store to purchase their food and any other supplies any time they wish to shop outside of duty hours.
Transport: INBOUND TRANSPORTATION: H2A and US Workers will be provided inbound transportation from their home country and/or US city in which they live in the most convenient and timely mode for the Employer. The Employer will arrange for the H2A, or US workers travel ticket. If Employer does not pre-pay, the Employer will reimburse the H2A or US worker upon or before the completion of 50% of the stated contracted dates of need.
Experience wanted: 3 months
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