Agricultural workersAgricultural workers play a large role in getting food, plants, and other agricultural products to market. Working mostly on farms or ranches or in nurseries, slaughterhouses, or ports of entry, these workers have numerous and diverse duties. Among their activities are planting and harvesting crops, installing irrigation, delivering animals, and making sure that our food is safe. More than 4 out of 5 agricultural workers are farmworkers and laborers. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse perform numerous activities related to growing and harvesting grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, fiber, trees, shrubs, and other crops. Among their activities are planting and seeding, pruning, irrigating, harvesting, and packing and loading crops for shipment. Farmworkers also apply pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers to crops; repair fences; and help with irrigation. Nursery and greenhouse workers prepare land or greenhouse beds for growing horticultural products, such as trees, plants, flowers, and sod. Their duties include planting, watering, pruning, weeding, and spraying the plants. They may cut, roll, and stack sod; stake trees; tie, wrap, and pack plants to fill orders; and dig up or move field-grown and containerized shrubs and trees. Farmworkers, farm and ranch animals care for live farm, ranch, or aquacultural animals that may include cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, poultry, finfish, shellfish, and bees. The animals are usually raised to supply such products as meat, fur, skins, feathers, eggs, milk, and honey. The farmworkers� duties may include feeding, watering, herding, grazing, castrating, branding, debeaking, weighing, catching, and loading animals. On dairy farms, farmworkers operate milking machines; they also may maintain records on animals, examine animals to detect diseases and injuries, assist in delivering animals at their birth, and administer medications, vaccinations, or insecticides as appropriate. Daily duties of such farmworkers include cleaning and maintaining animal housing areas. Other farmworkers known as agricultural equipment operators operate a variety of farm equipment used in plowing, sowing, maintaining, and harvesting agricultural products. The equipment may include tractors, fertilizer spreaders, haybines, raking equipment, balers, combines, and threshers, as well as trucks. These farmworkers also operate machines used in moving and treating crops after their harvest, such as conveyor belts, loading machines, separators, cleaners, and dryers. In addition, they may make adjustments and minor repairs to equipment. When not operating machines, agricultural equipment operators may perform other farm duties that are not typical of other farmworkers. Agricultural inspectors, another type of agricultural worker, are employed by Federal and State governments to ensure compliance with laws and regulations governing the health, quality, and safety of agricultural commodities. Inspectors also make sure that the facilities and equipment used in processing the commodities meet quality standards. Meat safety is one of their prime responsibilities, and they try to ensure that the meat we eat is free of harmful ingredients or bacteria. In meat-processing facilities, inspectors may collect samples of suspected diseased animals or materials and send the samples to a laboratory for identification and analysis. They also may inspect livestock to help determine the effectiveness of medication and feeding programs. Some inspectors are stationed at export and import sites to weigh and inspect agricultural shipments leaving and entering the country, to ensure the quality and quantity of the shipments. A few work at logging sites, making sure that safety regulations are enforced. Graders and sorters of agricultural products examine agricultural commodities being prepared to be packed for market and classify them according to quality or size guidelines. They grade, sort, or classify unprocessed food and other agricultural products by size, weight, color, or condition and discard inferior or defective products. For example, graders sort eggs are by color and size and also examine the fat content, or marbling, of beef, assigning a grade of �Prime,� �Choice,� or something else, as appropriate. The grade that is assigned determines the price at which the commodity may be sold. Related news articles Access to Affordable Medical Services &... - Oct 13, 2006 U.S. Newswire (press release),...industry, which generates billions of dollars for our nation's economy, relies on a healthy work force, yet consideration about agricultural worker's access to ... Appeals court questions immigration court on Chinese asylum claim - Oct 13, 2006 Newsday,He conceded he was in the country illegally but applied for asylum, saying that as a non-agricultural worker he was banned in China from having more than one ... Schwarzenegger acts on ag-related bills - Oct 13, 2006 Capital Press (subscription),He signed SB1135 to establish protocols to expend $20 million made available in the 2006-07 Budget Act for an agricultural worker transportation grant program. ... A Workable Guest Worker Program - One that Allows Freedom of ... - Oct 3, 2006 Blogcritics.org,...local employers, if necessary. (This is somewhat akin to the Canadian Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program). Finding housing in ... MEXICAN MIGRANT WORKERS APPLY TO JOIN CANADIAN UNION UFCW/TUAC: - Sep 20, 2006 CCNMatthews (press release),...which up until now have exclusively been set by the Mexican and Canadian governments under the federal government's Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP ... Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs Legislation Benefiting Farmworkers - Sep 28, 2006 One Bakersfield,Budget and Fiscal Review establishes protocols to expend $20 million made available in the 2006-07 Budget Act for an agricultural worker transportation grant ... High court to define immigrant punishment limits - Oct 1, 2006 Houston Chronicle,He also entered the country illegally, but later was allowed to become a lawful permanent resident under an agricultural worker program. ... 1-R's go-to person - Oct 1, 2006 Grand Island Independent,Webb has been a welder, a locksmith apprentice and an agricultural worker, can overhaul an engine, can do landscaping and has a basic knowledge of electricity ... Quick View - Oct 3, 2006 Express Outlook,...morning. As she can’t afford to live on her Rs 1,700 monthly pension, Nadège had taken up a job as an agricultural worker. Hence ... Agriculture takes center stage at Boring Grange - Oct 4, 2006 Sandy Post,Gives tax credits and other financial incentives to first-time farmers and ranchers, as the average age of an agricultural worker sails over 65. ... Governor Schwarzenegger signs farmworker bills - Sep 28, 2006 Capital Press (subscription),It establishes protocols to expend $20 million made available in the 2006-07 Budget Act for an agricultural worker transportation grant program. ... Migrant Farm Workers Vote to Join Union - Sep 21, 2006 CD98.9,...working conditions for the first time, which up until now have been set by the Mexican and Canadian governments under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program. ... California farmworkers get protection, training in new laws - Sep 28, 2006 Central Valley Business Times,...s Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review establishes protocols to expend $20 million in the current state budget for an agricultural worker transportation grant ... Migrant workers' union bid delayed - Sep 29, 2006 Canada Agriculture Online,They are employed under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, a joint agreement between the Canadian and Mexican governments. ... Mexican migrant workers unionize - Sep 25, 2006 Canadian HR Reporter,...to Canada every year from Mexico are set up by the Mexican and Canadian governments under the federal government's Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SWAP). ... Quebec, Manitoba migrant workers want to unionize - Sep 26, 2006 CBC Manitoba,Their contracts are set up bilaterally by their home country's governments and Canadian officials, under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program. ... Farm tour part of local push - Sep 29, 2006 SunJournal.com (subscription),A state agricultural worker said supporting farms sustains the regional economy, on top of satisfying a growing desire for local food. ... More information on Agricultural workers from The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook Overview of Agricultural workers occupation Number of Agricultural workers in the U.S. Salary and earnings for Agricultural workers Working conditions for Agricultural workers Significant points for Agricultural workers Training requirements for Agricultural workers Labor Information Home | Occupational data by city | Search Rainforests | Madagascar | What's new |