Research Farm Support Technician

Fall Creek is creating a world with better blueberries through its friendly, collaborative team spread across the globe. To help us accomplish this, we are seeking a qualified Research Farm Support Technician. This position will be located in Lowell, OR.

The Fall Creek Research Farm Support Technician position is responsible for assisting with the operational tasks at the Fall Creek research farm including general farm activities, horticultural management, data collection, and recording of data needed to develop new blueberry varieties. This position reports primarily to the Farm Supervisor and/or the Farm Manager along with other managers within the breeding department. This position collaborates closely with Research Technicians and other employees working at the research farm.

What you'll do at Fall Creek:

• Plant field plants, transplant plants into larger pot sizes, move large potted plants, dig up and discard field plants.
• Assist with field and greenhouse horticultural management, which includes shearing, moving, weeding, irrigating and crop protection (scouting) of plants.
• Equipment operation includes forklifts, ATVs, tractors, sprayers, and some rented equipment.
• Assist with fruit harvest and perform post-harvest data collection in an accurate and timely manner.
• Collect plant leaf samples for DNA and virus testing and perform patent data collection as instructed.
• Perform inventory counts, field mapping, tagging, and collection of phenotypic data from research trials. Responsible for accurate recording and timely data entry into the Fall Creek database.
• Discards plants as directed.
• Performs general maintenance of facilities which may include site preparation for buildings, repairing irrigation and water lines (requires digging), building small structures to house equipment and facilities, cleaning storage areas, cleaning storm damage, and preparing greenhouses for inclement or cold weather.

Job Setting

• Primarily field and nursery setting with short periods in the office. May be exposed to weather, insects, bees, pollen, fertilizers and agricultural chemicals. Requires working under hot conditions in greenhouses, and outside in rain and sun for extended periods.
• May use shovel, sprinkler, trowel, ATV/moto, forklift, leaf blower, lawn mower, shearing machine, spraying equipment, tractor, pots and other containers, carts, box cutter scissors, pruners, spray bottle, saws, drills, ladders and miscellaneous hand and power tools.
• Work hours may change, depending on seasonal requirements. Evening and weekend work may be required. Closed campus during breaks.

What you bring to Fall Creek:

• Typically requires a bachelor’s degree in horticulture, botany or related field and 2 years’ experience in a breeding program, nursery environment, or other horticultural operation. If candidate has an associate’s degree or GED, 4 years of experience in a related field is usually required.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Outlook.
• Alpha-numeric data entry skills.
• Ability to prioritize work within established guidelines and follow through on a variety of requests.
• Requires good judgment in decision making and in recognizing scope of authority.
• Strong collaboration skills and the ability to work as part of a team with internal departments.

Who is Fall Creek?

We’re a US-based company with a keen focus on blueberry genetics, plants, and grower support delivered to the world’s premier blueberry growers. From our humble beginnings in Lowell, Oregon more than 40 years ago, we now also have wholly-owned nurseries in Mexico, Peru, Spain, South Africa, Netherlands, Chile, China, and expanding nurseries in North Africa and Eastern Europe. Additionally, we have built a global team of the finest breeders, researchers, propagators and nursery professionals, grower support technicians, sales and customer service experts and more. We’re a deeply-planted link in a global chain, ready to serve our customers and our industry throughout North, Central, and South America, Greater Europe, Asia and Africa. Our mission is to serve the growers and to support the blueberry industry, helping to ensure growers maximize success through our delivery of the best genetics and plants, technical know-how and global market intelligence. To fulfill our mission, we focus on cultivating exceptional plants, building strong relationships and providing responsive customer service. This is all part of how we’re helping to build A World with Better Blueberries™.  

Fall Creek Farm & Nursery® offers a competitive salary and benefit package which includes health, vision, and dental insurance, paid time off, company-paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance, and 401K plan. . EOE

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Referral program
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Work Location: In person