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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] U-pick apples

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  • From: "Joyce Paski" <jpaski AT msn.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] U-pick apples
  • Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2004 08:11:58 -0500

On April 20, 2004, Tom at Lime rock asked:
<Do you post rules and point them out to the people?  Does anyone use a
written/signed 'release' form?   (Am I too paranoid?)

What do you have them pick into?

Are you selling by weight or volume?

How do you set your pricing (U-pick compared to retail at your market)?>

I don't have a U-pick, but I've taken my children apple picking for many years.  The u-picks we have gone to (in Illinois and Indiana) have been lots of fun and the following are my observations:
(1) a poster of written rules at the entrance is more helpful as a reference than trying to listen to a employee tell you where and what to pick while you are trying to keep small children in hand;
(2)rows of apple trees well-marked as to apple type and whether that row is ready to be picked is VERY helpful to someone not familiar with apples;
(3)all the orchards I've been to sell by weight (last year I paid .79/#);
(4)the u-picks provided half bushel baskets or heavy duty plastic bags for purchase by pickers.  One orchard provided wheelbarrows for pickers.  Some years back my husband put a new, wider plywood bed on our children's old Radio Flyer wagon and reattached the side supports which makes the wagon perfect for holding two full bushel baskets of apples (my usual annual purchase since I am a canner).  Every year we use that wagon someone either offers to buy it from us or we hear them say they wish they had done what we did.  Wagons are better than wheelbarrows.
 
Hope this helps.



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