Job Description
Hiring work campers for February -May, dates flexible, duties varied.
We are Mensch Greenhouse Inc., a family-owned greenhouse grow operation in southeastern South Dakota in the small town of Avon. We grow, transplant and wholesale spring bedding plants throughout the upper Midwest. Duties would include planting hanging baskets and large pots, transplanting plugs into flats, filling pots, watering and hauling. There is a lot of standing on gravel or concrete floors and planting occasionally we sit and plant depending on what we are planting that day, then place on a bench or on the floor by bending and squatting. We have an automated transplanting machine that has positions monitoring its consistency and preparing flats for planting by labeling and then placing them on a cart for transport to the growing floor. We are a crew of around 20 looking to add another 12-15. We work from 8 am to 5pm with overtime available. We assign jobs according to temperament and ability (I personally cannot see well enough to seed). Some crew members like to chat, some listen to podcasts. Our workers range in age from teenagers to an 81-year-old.
The weather is nice in a greenhouse but can be quite variable in South Dakota in the winter and spring. We wear layers and adjust all day long. We are working with soilless mix- there is dust, there will be mud. You will need to be neat and careful with our product. Hygiene is critical on our production floor. You are working closely with others, no perfumes or body odors, baby plants are delicate. We provide masks for soilless mix pot filling, latex gloves to protect your hands and our product. You will need heavy lugged shoes and/or boots to tolerate the hard surfaces more easily.
Pay starts at $15 per hour, more for outstanding producers and those who are certified to use skid steer and forklift. You must provide references and sign a work agreement to receive an end-of-season bonus. RV parking on a first come basis. You provide your own meals. We have 2 lunch areas with microwaves and refrigerators and stay on the premises for breaks. We are flexible and open to input as we strive to grow our crew. Zero tolerance for alcohol or drug abuse.
This is the first time that we are reaching out to a wider area than our rural area for help. We are dog friendly, but your dog must pass the Frank and Gordy sniff test to be acceptable. They work here every day and are not keen on small dogs. We have a honey wagon available, and we can have power brought to our parking area for you. We will need your guidance. We only have room for a few RVs on site. The neighboring communities have a laundromat and a more legit RV parking area with hookups. We have hosted a greenhouse installation crew in their RVs previously and they were pleased with the accommodation made near our greenhouses. The town of Avon has a grocery store, gas station/convenience store, bank, medical clinic and 2 bars.
Please submit your resume to flwrboy@msn.com or call or text Korey Mensch at (605) 359-0297. Check us out on FB as Mensch Greenhouse, Inc.