Who doesnβt love a freshly squeezed lemonade from grandmaβs backyard tree?
Well letβs take grannyβs garden to the next level and start fruit picking from farms around the world.
If you’re a student, a traveler, or just someone who wants to save money on the road, fruit picking is the perfect seasonal job to travel and make money from. It comes with many perks like great views, a place to crash in, and interesting people to meet.
Can you Make Money Fruit Picking?
Yes, you can! Farms are always looking for seasonal workers.
But it also depends on how good, fast, and hard working you are as a fruit picker.
Some farms will pay you an hourly rate regardless of how many fruits you picked. Yet many of them will pay you by piece, which means you get money based on the amount of fruit you pick or number of βbucketsβ you fill. (over-ripe or damaged fruits do not count.)
An average fruit picker in the UK can make around Β£400 per week.
An average fruit picker in Canada and Australia can make around $500 – $600 per week.
If youβre not a citizen in one of those countries, you will need to arrange your own visa requirements, as most farms will not sponsor you.
(Or you can charm your way through one of the farms for an under the table arrangement.)
Some countries offer working holiday visas and temporary foreign workers programs.
For example, Canada has a Working Holiday Visa under the International Experience Canada Program, which gives youth the opportunity to travel and work for up to 2 years.
Best Places to Find Fruit Picking Seasonal Jobs
1. Canada
Head to British Columbia or Ontario, the biggest producers of blueberries, raspberries and apples, for a βberryβ special fruit picking experience.
JealousFruitsRecruitment offers a wide range of opportunities along with a budget-friendly camp-site.
They claim that an average picker earns between $100 – $250 per dayβ¦
If youβre interested, they are looking for a seasonal cherry picker right now! Β
2. Australia
Apple packers, passion fruit pickers, you name it. Youβll find different fruit picking jobs all year round in the largest country in the world on BackPacker Job Abroad.
Workforce Australia also offers a Harvest Job section, launched by the government, for people to find immediate jobs.
To find the most farm-popular destinations, you can also check out this fruit picking map with more than 400 farms to contact directly.
3. United Kingdom
BerryWorld, HughloweFarms, Hallhunter. The UK is filled with farms looking for you, especially in summer! Usually, their season starts in April and ends by September.
But ever since Brexit, farms in the United Kingdom have been struggling with labor shortage. Less fruit-pickers means more fruit waste in the field.
So you can find all kind of agricultural opportunities on FruitfulJobs, and they can sponsor people via the SWS Scheme. However, it is only applicable for certain countries and to those interested in horticulture.
Horticulture is considered the art of cultivating both edible and non-edible plants such as flowers, fruits, and herbs.
So technically, were still talking about fruits!
Fruit picking can be found all over the world, you just need to look in the right places. For example, a European would be a perfect picker for farms in Italy or Norway, yet a non-European will find it pretty difficult to be recruited in the region.
If youβre interested in checking out different destinations, then you can head to Picking Jobs for job listings and farms details all around the world. Β
But keep in mind that not all farms are into the tech world.
Places like Cyprus and Greece are filled with seasonal jobs, however, you probably wonβt find any of them advertised online. Your best chance is to book your flight ticket during peak season, do your own farm hunt, and hope to find a good pay.
Organic Fruit Picking: Sustainable Movement
Making money may not be the only reason to get your hands dirty.
If you are truly interested in being part of a sustainable movement, then you can find the perfect active vacation anywhere in the world with WWOOF.
WWOOFing is not considered a job or volunteer work; itβs an opportunity to learn something new. There are no obligations of productivity, no subordinate or hierarchy, and no pay. So, youβll work on the farm for a few hours a day, and still have time to have fun and explore the region.
For most destinations, you just need a tourist visa and some pocket money. Other than that, the host will provide you with food, accommodation and hopefully a good eye-opening experience!
The Fruit Picking Experience
If youβre planning a fruit picking job hunt, there are a couple of things you need to know:
- Be ready for a farmerβs exercise
We’re not just talking about cardio; some weights are involved as well! You need to be relatively fit to keep up with the walking and fruit carrying. - Setting alarms at sunrise
Farmers usually start by dawn to avoid the afternoon heat. However, if youβre not a morning person, you may find some farms that arrange midnight harvests. - Itβs all about teamwork
Joining a farm means being part of a family. Everyone is there to help each other out!
Fruit picking may sound fun, but itβs not considered one of the βeasyβ jobs.
At the end of the day, a change of scenery along with a good rate and some fresh fruits could make it all worth it.