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SEASONAL HARVEST JOBSFarm History

  Picking Bramleys in early September Click to see 5 photos of last years harvest. Freshly filled bin of Cox. Click to view the farm through the seasons (6 photo's)  

Information for Fruit Pickers

To harvest the apple crop every year the farm needs between 15 and 20 pickers per day during the month of September. If you are interested in a job for next September please read on.

The Job

To harvest apples and pears from the trees and place them carefully into bulk bins. A picking bucket, containing up to 10kgs of fruit, is carried from the shoulders and is emptied into the bulk bins which when filled weigh approximately 360kgs.

Timing

The fruit harvest can vary by up to a week in different years. Normally the main harvest starts in the first week of September and finishes in the second week of October.

The Contract

The contract is for a casual harvest worker as defined by the Agricultural Wages Board and employment is on a daily basis. 

Payment

The job is subject to the current Agricultural Wages Board rates.   Currently the rate for casual harvest workers is the same as the National Minimum Wage.  Pickers work in gangs and there is a bonus paid to gangs that exceed the daily production target.  Experienced pickers can expect to earn a bonus of between £5 and £15 per day.  Pickers who cannot regularly make the target or who are holding back the productivity of the gang, may be let go.

Training

Full training and supervision will be given. The class 1 fruit is all destined for supermarket sales and is very important that it is picked to exacting quality requirements. It is also important that the fruit is picked carefully to avoid bruising and that the job is done thoroughly.

Equipment

It is a physically demanding job that is sometimes conducted in less than favourable weather conditions. The farm provides picking buckets and picking gloves but you must come prepared for the worst weather every day (no matter what the forecast) i.e. waterproof clothing and boots.

Accommodation and Local Facilities

At present the farm has no accommodation for pickers. However, there are flush toilets, hot and cold water and a shower for those that want to camp in either tents or caravans. The orchards are equidistant between two villages. There is a public telephone, pub and Farm shop/garden centre/village store in North Perrott and a pub and public telephone in Haslebury Plucknett. The local bus service operates between Yeovil and Crewkerne and passes through both villages. Both towns have railway services.

Interested in a job? Contact us for an application form on 01460 73451, by e-mail or by Feed Back.

We regret that we cannot accept applications from residents outside the EEC.

 

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