Idea: Pick-Your-Own-Apple Orchards
A few weeks ago, the New York Times ran a poignant article about anguished fruit farmers in California. Because of a crackdown on illegal immigrants, they couldn’t find workers willing to pick their pears, even at $150 per day. And as a result, perfectly good fruit rotted in the fields.Perhaps the California farmers, who depend on migrant Mexican labor, have got the wrong business model. Instead of paying workers to pick their fruit, they should try another strategy: making customers pay to pick the fruit themselves. Savvy farmers all over the country have discovered a practice that might not work as a nationwide agricultural policy, but that has allowed some economically inefficient orchards to thrive: Encourage yuppies and their progeny to come pick your fruit—they’ll pay handsomely for the privilege, buy more than they’d ordinarily consume, and then shell out for all sorts of other value-added products. It’s the best use of child labor since Manchester’s early 19th-century textile mills.
Photo by Muffet.
Bob Devine on October 10th, 2006 6:14 pm
Unfortunately an unworkable idea.
Of course the orchard owners have thought of opening up to a u-pick operation but every one that I know quickly decides it is not worth the risk or expense. Risk? yep, letting consumers on the property means that they need so much liability insurance and careful production of waivers that the only ones profiting are lawyers, insurers, and governments. Better to let the fruit rot. Sad story about the modern small farm…
revan on October 11th, 2006 4:08 am
It is so pity that in Russia there no so beatiful apples :( *cry*
perera on April 20th, 2007 4:25 am
I’m looking for a partner for my plantation in sri lanka. land extend – 40 acre, crops cultivated are lime, oranges, papaw, cashew,pineapple and banana.
thanking you.
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