Questions & answers.

Fill out the short application on our Apply page, or call or text the office during office hours. There is no fee to apply — and we will never charge you for a job.

No. Many jobs are entry-level and we train you on the task, on safety, and on the grower's quality rules before you start. Experienced pruners, forklift operators and crew leads are always welcome too.

After you are hired, federal law requires every employer to complete Form I-9. You choose which acceptable documents to show from the official list. We do not ask for immigration papers on the application, and we don't ask for more documents than the law requires.

In California, farmworkers earn overtime (1.5 times the regular rate) after 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, and double time after 12 hours in a day. The seventh day in a row has its own overtime rules. Your pay stub shows every hour.

Yes. Rest breaks and heat cool-down breaks are paid separately from your piece rate, at your average hourly rate, and they appear as their own lines on your pay stub.

There is always cool, free drinking water. Above 80°F, shade goes up for everyone on break. At 95°F and above, crews hold a pre-shift heat meeting, watch each other for signs of heat illness, and take a paid 10-minute cool-down at least every 2 hours. You can rest in the shade any time you feel you need to.

Rides depend on the job. When we transport workers, it's in vehicles inspected and certified by the CHP, with a seat belt for every passenger and licensed, medically certified drivers. Ask about rides when you apply.

Talk to your crew lead, call the office, or report it anonymously. You will not be punished for reporting a safety problem, harassment, or a pay mistake. You can also contact the California Labor Commissioner, Cal/OSHA or the Civil Rights Department — our Policies page lists how.

Yes. Ceres Crop Management holds a California Farm Labor Contractor license from the Labor Commissioner and a federal MSPA certificate of registration. We give you a copy of both before we sign an agreement, and you can verify the license on the Labor Commissioner's public lookup.

It depends on the size, crop and season. Tell us your start date and headcount as early as you can; for most requests we aim to confirm the crew plan within one business day and send a supervisor to walk the field before day one.

We do. Ceres is the employer of record for our crews: we run payroll with itemized pay stubs, carry workers' compensation, deliver required training in the workers' language, and keep the records you may need to show — hours, piece counts, training logs and heat plans.

We are based in Shafter and work up and down the San Joaquin Valley: Kern, Tulare, Fresno, Madera, Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties. Call us about jobs farther out — we'll tell you honestly if we can staff them well.