SOW C-16-0015.docx

Contract No.

Farm Labor Services, Parlier, CA

FARM LABOR SERVICES FOR

USDA, AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES CENTER

PARLIER, CALIFORNIA

STATEMENT OF WORK

Provide field work laborers to perform the following:

1. ORCHARDS. Fields 22, 21N, 31N, 32 and 42 (16.4 acres). Approximately 1,000 trees. Varieties of stone fruit include peaches, nectarines, and plums, and pomegranate. Trees are of various ages and spacing.

2. VINEYARDS. Field 11 (4.4 acres); Field 12 (6 acres); Field 13 (5.1 acres); Field 21 (2.3 acres); Field 24S (5.7 acres); Field 3, (5 acres). Vineyard work includes but is not limited to:

3. GREENHOUSE

· Water container-grown plants using fertigation water as required based on seasonal climate and experimental needs (range from daily to twice a week).

· Prepare soil mixture (sand/peat/redwood humus) as prescribed and steam pasteurize (6-8 times per year).

· Trim, stake and tie plants to grow as a single leader plant use phytosanitary measures to prevent mechanical spread of pathogens and other pests (daily as needed).

· Autoclave or steam pasteurizes all plant debris (daily as needed).

· Inspect plants for nutritional deficiency/toxicity and pests (aphids, thrips, whiteflies, scales, mites) (daily as needed).

· Spray plants to control pests (aphids, thrips, whiteflies, scales, or mites) (bimonthly or as needed).

· Sow seeds to grow citrus and annuals for virus indexing and host plants for insect colonies.

· Label and maintain inventory of plants using pc-based program and printer; and place label on each plant; discard dead or weak plants and update inventory as required.

· Maintain insect colonies by watering host plants in cages, transferring insects to new plants in clean cages. Cages kept clean and sanitary (range from daily to weekly as needed).

· Transplant seedlings (weekly to monthly as needed).

· Extract citrus seed and clean/air dry (2 weeks in Jan-Mar).

· Wash pots and seed flats, steam pasteurize, and store on shelves (daily or as needed).

· Remove weeds from beds under plant benches and surrounding greenhouse and screen house (Seasonally).

· Periodically sweep sidewalk in greenhouse and screen house; sweep or vacuum dirt from insectary floor (weekly or as needed).

· Inspect air handling and climate control for proper functioning and report deficiencies to supervisor immediately (daily).

· Half-time Greenhouse worker. A worker (20h/wk) is needed to maintain containerized plants in two greenhouses and screenhouse totaling 4,588 sf (0.1 Acres). Duties include, but are not limited to, watering, mixing soil components, pruning, labeling, steam pasteurizing soil and plant debris, sowing seeds and transplanting, maintaining insect cultures, extracting seeds from citrus fruit, manual weed control, cleaning cages, pots and sidewalks.

4. GROUND PLANTINGS: Field 43 (8 acres), Field 33 (8 acres), Field 23 (6 acres). Seed planting and plot maintenance for seed regeneration projects of arid land plants. Also includes Field 42N (2 acres) of bulb onion and other field crops as new research is initiated. Year-round, 4 workers. Approximately 10 workers anticipated at any one time.

The Government will provide the following:

· Hand-tools and implements (i.e., pruning shears, shovels).

· Parking for Contractor employees

The Contractor will provide the following:

· Two portable bathrooms with handwashing station

· Shade and water

· Ladders

· Safety Training

· Pay workers on a weekly basis. Paycheck distribution shall be accomplished by the prime contractor directly to the farm worker, without Government serving as an intermediary.

· Provide field supervisor to assign work, maintain employee time and attendance for Contractor payroll and provide assistance to workers in all employment matters.

· Provide Personal Protective Equipment as needed (i.e., gloves, safety glasses, etc.).

Local points of contact:

· Ronald Colby, Administrative Officer, (559) 596-2960, ronald.colby@ars.usda.gov

· Paula Lynch, Administrative Support Assistant, (559) 596-2953, paula.lynch@ars.usda.gov

Contracting point of contact: Robert Risch, Contracting Officer, (510) 559-6022, rob.risch@ars.usda.gov

Task orders will be issued, and modified for additional hours, as needed. Minimum task order quantity is 100 hours; maximum task order quantity is 8,500 hours. Anticipated yearly quantity is 10,000 hours. Minimum guaranteed quantity is 2% of anticipated yearly quantity (180 hours). Maximum yearly quantity is 13,000 hours.