North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Jim Fruth" <jfruth@tds.net>]

   Something I left out/forgot to mention is a positive side of U-Pick.  We 
kept a list of some of the nicer, more congenial pickers and invite them 
back.  We especially invited the poorer folks, those who wish we would 
charge less.  The deal we offer is, "You pick one for you and one for us and 
no money needs to change hands."  That solved the problem of most of the 
dropped fruit and if  "the one for us" was over-ripe fruit, that's okay 
because we are in the jelly business and we can use the over-ripe fruit.
   There is one problem with doing it this way, though.  Our accountant 
said that, technically, our pickers become employees subject to tax 
withholding, workman's compensation, etc.  He did add that so long as we 
treat it like 'day labor' that we probably won't ever have a tax collector 
knocking on our door.

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN  56472
For jams, jellies & syrups:
www.bberryfarm.com
(877)265-6856 [Store]
(218)831-7018 [My Cell]