Job Description

The Role: Works with our Agronomist, Director of Farm Support, Farm Support Managers, PCAs, Harvest Directors & Harvest Managers, Farm Analyst, Office Support & Director of Compliance. Has supervisor direct reports including but not limited to tractor, irrigation, shop, weeding and thinning, and spray.

Location(s): Huron, CA

Areas of Responsibility :

Financial

• Work with the Director of the Tres Picos Farm Op & Farm Analyst to develop financial, yield, and cost-per-carton budgets.
• Responsible for meeting or exceeding budgeted costs per acre, yields, and cost per unit on a weekly basis.

Regulatory Compliance and Human Resources

• Manage spray and fertilizer to comply with all Fresno County regulations.
• Work with the Tanimura and Antle food safety department to understand and implement all food safety policies.
• Manage farm documentation and processes to comply with CCOF.
• Manage and report farm nitrogen usage to Westland's Water District.
• Interview, hire, and train farm employees.
• Ensure compliance with all work safety rules and laws.
• Actively manage the farm to make sure it is appropriately staffed.
• Address complaints and resolve problems.

Farm Management and Efficiencies

• Schedules that maximize yield and utilization of all farm resources. Farm resources include land, equipment, labor, and water.
• Assist in developing annual business plans for farming operations.
• Instruct Supervisor and Forepersons on a daily basis. Verify tasks are getting done at the highest level.
• Plan, assign, and direct employees' workload and responsibilities.
• Maximize purchasing power by working with Internal Salinas Operation to coordinate the purchase of fertilizer, fuel, drip tape, seed, etc.
• Verify that GPS, miles per hour, and implement width are always maximized.
• Implement technology that creates farm efficiencies and increases productivity.
• Develop written protocols for each crop that outlines the best cultural practices. This includes seed spacing, bed width, tape depth, irrigation intervals, fertility, pest management, tillage, etc.

Plant Nutrition and Soil Health

• Monitor and improve soil & plant fertility
• Collaborate with agronomists and pest control advisors on pest management and fertilizer programs that create crop health and consistency.
• Manage crop rotation & composting program to improve soil fertility and health.
• Research and implement testing programs to understand soil pathogen levels in each field.
• Manage a soil and tissue testing program that maximizes fertilizer use and improves crop quality and yields while complying with state and federal regulations.
• Develop written protocols for best practices by crop.
• In collaboration with the Agronomist & Director of the Tres Picos Farm Ops to determine the best N-P-K sources along with appropriate minor element ratios that will improve quality and yields

Irrigation

• In Collaboration with the Director of the Tres Picos Farm Ops improve irrigation efficiency & management with soil moisture monitoring techniques
• Schedule, record, and execute all irrigations for each crop.
• Develop effective methods for improving soil moisture monitoring via probes and other technologies.
• Develop written protocols describing best irrigation practices by season and crop.
• Ensure all wells are maintained and tested on a regular basis.
• Maintain accurate well & pump records including well logs and maintenance records.
• Annually test all irrigation water sources to best understand quality.
• Manage the maintenance of all irrigation equipment to limit tail water and maximize distribution uniformity.
• Start each irrigation well on a monthly basis to understand and prevent potential mechanical issues.
• Assist in managing Westland's water and SGMA water allocations to ensure enough water for the farming operation.

Ongoing Grower & T&A Management Fertility, Irrigation and Soil Management Education

• Attend regular local meetings providing education on best practices for irrigation, fertility, and soil disease prevention.

Environmental & Regulatory Compliance

• Work with the appropriate person or agency to ensure that all farms are in compliance with current and future regulations and reporting requirements.

Preferred Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor's degree (B. A.) from a four-year College or university and a minimum of seven years' experience in crop science, horticulture, soil science, or related field. Growing processing Tomatoes, Melon, Garlic, Onions, Carrots, and Leafy Vegetables in a professional setting is highly desired.

Language Skills

• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. The ability to write routine reports and correspondence with the ability to speak effectively before groups with professional fluency in English and Spanish with strong verbal and listening skills is required.

Mathematical Skills

• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. The Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

Reasoning Ability

• The ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form while prioritizing tasks, managing multiple projects simultaneously, and ensuring timely completion of deadlines.

Computer Skills

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook)

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

• Must have a valid driver's license and meet Motor Vehicle Records requirements.
• PAC, QAL, and PCA are not needed but preferred.

Physical Demands:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and taste or smell. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, outside weather conditions, and extreme cold. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate with extended periods and not averse to rugged conditions.

Ideal Candidate:

• Team player with a can-do attitude and goal-driven.
• Works well with minimal supervision and is a self-starter.
• Highly reliable.
• Highly organized with great attention to detail.

Tanimura & Antle Fresh Foods, Inc.

Job Tags

Hourly pay, Local area,

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