Online job site links California harvesters, growers

Carter Chavez saw plenty of online job platforms for produce executives, but little to help harvesters find work. So he started QuickHarvester.com.  Chavez, CEO of San Luis Obispo, Calif.-based Quick Harvester Inc., started the company within the past year and the website went live this summer.  “I worked for Talley Farms in Arroyo Grande for a while and realized they never had enough labor, like the majority of farms,” he said. “I realized there was no online, easy way for the farmers to connect with the workers.”  The project remains in beta, but growers and workers alike use it, he said. Chavez plans to expand the service beyond the Central Coast region, which includes Santa Maria, to other major production areas, starting with Fresno and Oxnard.  “We’re still adding features and eliminating bugs,” he said. “We’re looking for feedback, so it’s free to use.”  At the website, a grower signs up and posts job descriptions. Workers who’ve signed up are notified — usually in Spanish — by text message or e-mail. If interested, they click. The grower receives their information and calls to schedule an interview.