4808-01 Farms: Field crops - Not for fresh market

Applies to:

Businesses engaged in growing:

• Variety of grains, or vegetables (generally used as feed, flour, or cereal grains, as opposed to crops grown in classification 4802, which are used for fresh market, canning or frozen foods);

• Alfalfa, clover, timothy, straw, and other types of grass for hay or seed.

Work activities include, but are not limited to:

• Preparing soil for new crops;

• Planting;

• Fertilizing;

• Weeding;

• Machine harvesting;

• Drying of seeds;

• Grading;

• Sorting;

• Packing;

• Shipping of farm products grown subject to this classification;

• Maintaining or installing sprinkler or irrigation systems.

Machinery and equipment used include, but are not limited to:

• Balers;

• Combines;

• Fertilizer spreaders;

• Irrigation equipment;

• Seeding equipment;

• Tillers;

• Disk harrows;

• Tractors.

Typical crops:

• Alfalfa;

• Barley;

• Dry beans;

• Clover;

• Corn for silage;

• Garlic;

• Grass hay;

• Grass seed;

• Peas, dry;

• Rye;

• Straw;

• Sugar beets (for sugar);

• Timothy hay;

• Wheat.

Notes:

• Roadside stands are included in the farming classification when operated at or near the farm, even if a small stock of products not produced by the employer is also sold.

• If all the conditions of the general reporting rules covering the operations of a secondary business are met, farms operating multiple retail locations, such as those found in parking lots of shopping centers or at farmer's markets, may qualify to have those activities reported separately.

• This classification differs from classification 4802 "Vegetable farm operations" in that vegetable crops in classification 4808 generally have a long growing season and are harvested upon reaching maturity at the end of the season. Vegetable crops grown in classification 4802 are generally planted so that harvesting will occur continuously over the season and in smaller quantities. Crops grown in classification 4808 are generally used as feed, flour, or cereal grains, as opposed to crops grown in classification 4802, which are used for fresh market, canning or frozen foods.

Exclusions:

• Worker hours or businesses engaged in fresh vegetable packing must be reported separately in classification 2104.

• Worker hours or businesses engaged in cannery or freezer operations must be reported separately in classification 3902.

• Businesses engaged exclusively in the sale of fresh vegetables, but not involved in the cultivation of plants, are classified in classification 6403.

• Contractors hired by the farm to install, repair or build any farm equipment or structures, must report in the classification applicable to the work being performed.

• Grading, sorting, and packaging seeds; or selling baled hay (alfalfa, timothy, clover, etc.) by businesses that are not engaged in growing operations is classified in classification 2101.

• Businesses engaged exclusively in grain or seed storage that are not engaged in growing operations, are classified in classification 2007.

What is a farm labor contractor?

• A farm labor contractor is a specialty contractor who supplies laborers to a farm operation for specified services such as weeding, planting, irrigating and fertilizing; and

• Generally, the work involves manual labor tasks as opposed to machine operation.

What risk classification are farm labor contractors reported in?

• Farm labor contractors are to be reported in the classification that applies to the farm they are contracting with; and

• Contractors who provide both equipment or machinery and the machine operators are to be reported in classification 4808 "Custom farm services," as the process involved in operating machinery is the same regardless of the type of farm they are providing services to or the type of crop involved.

4808-07 Potato sorting and storage

Applies to:

Businesses engaged in storing potatoes in storage warehouses or cellars.

Work activities include, but are not limited to:

• Sorting good potatoes from damaged ones, or from debris, such as vines or rocks, either in the field or at a storage warehouse.

• Piling potatoes into storage area by size, and storing them until they are taken to processing or packaging plants.

• Sorting done in either the field or at a storage warehouse.

• Potato digging and piling when performed by employees of an employer who stores potatoes, but who is not engaged in growing potatoes.

Exclusions:

• Worker hours or businesses engaged in fresh vegetable packing operations, must be reported separately in classification 2104.

• Worker hours or businesses engaged in cannery or freezer operations, must be reported separately in classification 3902.

• Worker hours or businesses engaged in potato chip manufacturing, must be reported separately in classification 3906.

• Businesses engaged exclusively in the sale of fresh vegetables, but not involved in the cultivation of plants, are classified in classification 6403.

• Contractors hired by a farm to install, repair, or build any farm equipment or structures, must report in the classification applicable to the work being performed.

Special note: The farm labor contractor provision is not applicable to this classification because these businesses are not engaged in farming operations.

4808-11 Custom farm services (by contractor)

Applies to:

Contractors supplying and operating agriculture machinery and equipment at their customers' locations.

Work activities include, but are not limited to:

• Preparing fields for crops;

• Planting;

• Cultivating crops;

• Fertilizing;

• Harvesting;

• Mowing, turning and bailing hay;

• Incidental loading of hay onto trucks;

• Stacking of hay in barns or warehouses.

Note: This classification also includes seasonal agriculture produce hauling from the field to a processing or storage plant when performed by employees of an employer not engaged in the related farming operations associated with the crops being hauled.

Machinery and equipment used include, but are not limited to:

• Balers;

• Boom loaders;

• Combines;

• Fertilizer spreaders;

• Potato diggers;

• Seeding equipment;

• Spreaders;

• Tillers/disks;

• Tractors.

Exclusions:

• Contractors subject to this classification are generally not responsible for the overall care of the crops but are merely hired to provide specified services, which involve the use of machinery and employee equipment operators.

• Hauling of agriculture produce anywhere other than from the field to processing or storage plants is classified in classification 1102.

Special note: The farm labor contractor provision is not applicable to this classification because these businesses are not engaged in farming operations.

PDFWAC 296-17A-4808

Classification 4808.