General Farm Worker (Farm Machinery Operator)
Looking for a role where you can stay active and make a difference? We may have shroom for you. Come grow with us and be part of a team that's passionate about producing quality mushrooms.
Highline's Vision and Values:
Passionately nourish people, the environment and the community, through embracing our core values, which include:
We do the right thing, always. We lead the way. We are fanatical about quality. We are transparent in our relationships. We always consider the human element. We embrace diversity and inclusion.
General Duties:
Disinfecting growing rooms and materials
• Setting up nets for harvest beds
• Assisting in machine set up with the Senior Crew
• Assisting or operating the filling winch
• Guiding nets into growing rooms
• Operating a forklift
• Helps ensure the mushroom compost fills into the growing beds
• Driving vehicles on the farm, such as wagons, casing trucks, or dump trucks
• Wash and sanitize heavy machinery, casing trucks, wagons and dump trucks
• Operating handheld drill to secure plastic sheets with growing room
• Pulling the cables from the winch across mushrooms beds, up to 8 feet
• General hygiene practices: cleaning aisles, shovelling, squeegee, etc.
• Washing growing rooms
• Disinfecting the growing rooms and any materials
• Assisting the operator for the emptying winch and conveyor
• Helps ensures growing beds are emptied post-harvest
• Removing nets from the winch
• Operating a forklift to remove nets and equipment
• Setting up nets across the growing beds after cleaning and sanitizing
• Assisting the operator in setting up any heavy equipment
• Wash and sanitize nets, casing trucks, wagons and dump trucks
General hygiene practices: cleaning aisles, shovelling, squeegee, etc.
Washing/cleaning and proper maintenance of Fill/Empty machinery, nets, casing trucks, wagons, dump trucks and premises
Setting up and guiding nets for harvest beds
Supports and backs-up the Material Application Specialist, Fill/Empty Operations
Operates Skid Steer
Setting up the Head Filler and Pulling Winch
Operates Pulling Winch
Operates the Head Filler (Casing Line – W)
Driving farm vehicles, such as wagons, casing trucks, or dump trucks
Operate the emptying winch and conveyor
Set up any heavy equipment
Ensures that peat moss, lime and water are mixed properly for casing according to specifications set by growers and/or substrate manager
Coordinates and assists in preparing the peat mixers, conveyors and other required tools and equipment for use in peat preparation operations
Washing/cleaning and inspection of Casing Building machinery and premises.
Report inspection deficiencies to the Maintenance Manager and Substrate Manager for repair.
Consistently removes broken pallets and other debris from staging area in a timely manner.
Maintains strict hygiene at all times
Unloads peat moss and hydrated lime shipments from trucks with a forklift after verification of quantities has been completed by the Tunnels Manager or Substrate Manager.
Loads finished casing into casing truck for Essex County farms using skid steer.
Ensures adequate supply of casing is always maintained to supply Essex County farms
Performs any other duties that may be assigned as required
Operates the Emptying Winch, pulling the compost out of the tunnel for spawning and transfer of the spawned compost to growing rooms
May occasionally work from heights and operate equipment with proper training
May assist in addition of mushroom spawn to compost material
May assist in addition of supplements to compost
Operates Skid Steer and forklift
Washing/cleaning and proper maintenance of Tunnels machinery and premises
Unloading trucks using a forklift when needed
Driving farm vehicles, such as wagons, casing trucks, or dump trucks
Wash and sanitize tunnels, nets, casing trucks, wagons, dump trucks, etc.
Assists the Senior Crew – Tunnels Operations as required
Operates the Cassette Machine to move the raw compost material from tunnel to tunnel
Ensures addition of mushroom spawn to compost material
Ensures addition of supplements to compost
Supports and backs-up the Material Application Specialist – Tunnels Operations
The safe and proper application of such additives as chlorine, calcium chloride
Assessing watering requirements within guidelines supplied by the Grower
Mixing and applying water and additives in proper quantity and with proper technique in accordance with Grower’s directions
Applying disinfectants where and when required
Keeps accurate and accessible records when required
Washes growing rooms and hallways as required for each location
Communicates with growers
Ensures that the highest levels of disease preventative measures are implemented and maintained
Working on the trolleys to assess levels of disease
Transfers trash bins to and from growing rooms using a forklift
Dumps trash bins into wagon
Operates tractor to dump wagons when full
Delivers harvest supplies to the growing rooms
Assists with product scanning when requested Inspects trolleys and platforms for safety compliance
Sets up harvesting rooms for following day
Assists tray fill department when requested
Assists with stacking mushrooms when required
Assists floor runners as required
In charge of the washing and cleaning of the slice room and slice room equipment, the packaging room and packaging room equipment, harvest hallways and stump dumpers
Washes all trays and lugs
Cleans growing rooms
Responsible for watering growing rooms and checking for disease in growing rooms
Completes any other farm sanitation as required (ex. washing coolers, cleaning loading docks, etc.)
Responsible for completing all sanitation records for SQF Program
Responsible for setting up the harvest hallways for the following day, ensuring that all required supplies are brought to the harvest hallways
The safe and proper application of such additives as chlorine, calcium chloride
Operates the power jack, scissor lift, fork lift, tugger, and floor scrubber as needed
Applying disinfectants where and when required
Working on the trolleys to assess levels of disease as needed
Loads, unloads and operates the Shocker Cooler / Vacuum cooler and properly recording Shocker Cooler / Vacuum cooler temperatures
Stores and maintains product in the coolers in an efficient and organized manner
Moves pallets of product using a hand jack and/or power jack
Ensures product is cooled to specifications
Stores finished product in proper locations in the loading dock
Supplies the packing lines with masters and empty pallets
Stack mushrooms on skids for space consolidation
Receives product throughout the day via RF scanner within SAP and fills the proper documentation based on the quality, and item count
Operates the box machine to assemble cardboard boxes, as per customer requirements
Reworks boxes as required
Manually assembles box lids
Change over machine to match customer requirements
May operate hand jack, power jack and forklift
Maintains a clean and organized workspace
Capable of identifying obvious malfunctions of the equipment being used
May provide support to Shipper/Receiver (Kingsville only)
Operates hand jack, power jack and forklift as required
Maintains and monitors corrugated cardboard inventory
Able to perform all machine change overs depending on box size requirements
Performs low-level maintenance of the Box Machine equipment
Embrace and support the Highline culture and values, acting as brand ambassador at all times
Interact with others in a manner that promotes respect, confidentiality and dignity
Develop and actively foster an engaged work force, displaying professionalism at all times
Adheres to the Safety Policies, including use of proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other safety equipment
Reports unsafe conditions immediately to the supervisor
Reports all incidents, injuries and near misses to the supervisor immediately
Cooperates in the Early and Safe Return to Work Program if an injury or medical illness requires accommodation.
Follows all Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP’s) as trained
Adheres to all quality standards per customer specifications
Qualifications:
Must be at least 16 years of age.
Must be eligible to work in Canada without restrictions.
Previous experience in agriculture, horticulture, construction or relevant field is required
Previous experience operating farm or construction machinery is considered an asset
No language requirements
Hours of Work:
5 to 6 days / week
Approximately 30 to 60 hours / week; 8 to 14 hours / day
Public Holidays / Weekends as scheduled
Daily shift end times vary based on production needs
Earnings:
$18.67 - $21.68 per hour
Farm Hand Fill/Empty Crew receives a $0.60 per hour premium for working on the afternoon shift
Packing room positions receive a shift premium of $1.00 per hour worked after 5:00p.m.
Hallway Runners and Fill/Empty Crew receive a production bonus
Benefits:
Extended health, vision and dental for associates and their eligible family members
Life insurance and dependent life insurance
Short term disability
Annual safety shoe allowance / reimbursement
Pension matching after 1 year
Overtime eligible
Discretionary Bonus, years of service increases and annual wage grid reviews
Job Type: Permanent, Full-Time
Vacancies: 6
Locations of Work:
506 Mersea Rd. 5, Leamington, ON N8H 3V5
2646 Division Rd., Kingsville, ON N9Y 2E5
How to Apply:
Through careers.highlinemushrooms.com,
On Indeed or Job Bank Canada
In person at 506 Mersea Rd. 5, Leamington, ON N8H 3V5
Highline encourages applications from all qualified candidates. When requested, Highline will accommodate people with disabilities at all stages of the recruitment, assessment and hiring process.
By submitting your application, you consent to being contacted by a representative of Highline via email, phone or text message regarding your application and potential career opportunities.
Please note that artificial intelligence tools are used to assist our recruitment team in screening, summarizing and sorting applicant profiles.
#EAST
- Locations
- Essex
- Hourly salary
- CAD18.67 - CAD21.68
- Employment type
- Full-time
About Highline Mushrooms
Highline Mushrooms is one of North America's leading mushroom growers, proudly producing fresh, organic, and sustainably grown mushrooms. Our people are at the heart of everything we do, driving innovation, quality, and a more sustainable future. Join a team where you can grow your career while making a meaningful impact.