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HARVEST MANAGEMENT 



Good organization of the harvest operation is essential if time, money, 

 labor, and bruising of fruit are to be kept to a minimum. Each grower organizes 

 the harvest operation somewhat differently because of circumstances and personal 

 preference. However, below is a detailed account of how one Massachusetts grower 

 organizes his harvest operation, and the information should be of interest to 

 others. It shows that considerable thought and planning has been given to this 

 important phase of orcharding. Data obtained at this grower's orchard during a 

 study of mechanical Injury on Mcintosh apples during harvesting, storing, and 

 packing has shown that the planning and organization has helped to minimize 

 mechanical injury. 



Harvest Labor 



The ham/est crew is made up of about 15 to 20 per cent local help, 40 per 

 cent transients from the south, and the other 40 per cent are workers on leave 

 from service. Until this year, housing was rented for the transient help. 

 Starting this fall, the help will be housed on the farm with accomodations for 40. 



The basic harvest crew is composed of 15 pickers being the better transient 

 pickers and local help. At the peak of harvest, approximately 50 pickers are 

 employed. 



Four picking crew foremen are used, two being full time employees and the 

 others being men who have picked frviit for a number of years and have proven them- 

 selves to be careful pickers and good supervisors of help. Generally each crew 

 consists of 10 men and a foreman. At the peak of harvest, however, a crew 

 consists of 12 to 13 men. 



Pay Rate 



Up to 1962, pickers have been paid by the hour with the better-than-average 

 picker receiving an extra 10 cents an hour. The average pickers harvest 4 to 6 

 bushels per hour and the better pickers 6 to 8 bushels per hour. To induce a 

 little competitive spirit, the grower pays an extra dollar per day to the man in 

 each crew whose apples have the fewest bruises. 



In 1962, this grower is contemplating paying piece work to get greater pro- 

 duction from the pickers with an incentive for good quality (color and minimum 

 bruising). He feels that the 5 bushel per hour minimum that he has set In the 

 past has kept production per picker low. In addition, it is felt that the 6 to 8 

 bushel pt-r hour pickers are not being rewarded enough for their extra effort. 



The foremen, other than the regular lieip who act as foremen, receive 

 additional pay and are allowed to work extra hours by aiding tl>e liauiing .Jiid 

 grading crews. 



Training of the IMcking Crew s 



Many pickers have never harvested <ipi)itis belore. Therefore, the grower per- 

 sonally gives each picker 15 to 30 minutes of instruction. Tlie grower attempts to 

 limit the number of new pickers to 7 or 8 eacli day so that he can personally 

 instruct them. Each man is handed a copy of Special Circular No. 246 titled "Be a 



