Re: Apple-Crop: ladders in pick your own

[smallonesfarm]

If not ladders, how about pole pickers? Our experience has been to hide them in the barn for the last several seasons. Why? They significantly increase wastage, they can damage trees, some people find them frustrating (and leave), and they can be the equipment of choice in "orchard lacrosse".  We get very few requests for pickers and our climbers have not seemed to increase in number. We also top-pick where possible to limit the appeal of the upper scaffold. Most importantly though, our PYO drops have been halved since putting the pickers away.

 

Of course, if you have a standard orchard  (like the one of my youth), it probably cannot be picked by the public without picking poles..

 

Bob Fitz

Small Ones Farm

 

-------------- Original message from "Tommy and Sandy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: --------------

Thank everyone for responding to my questions about ladders in a PYO operation.  I had my own fears, and everyone confirmed them.  Hope this is a money making year for everyone despite high fuel prices.

Tommy Bruguiere

Dickie Bros. Orchard

Roseland, Va.

----- Original Message -----

From: Ron Gaskill

To: Apple-Crop

Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2008 11:59 AM

Subject: RE: Apple-Crop: ladders in pick your own

Tommy,

 

In our pick-you-own operation (in Michigan) the question of ladders or not was answered by our insurance carrier with an emphatic, “no!”  It wasn’t a question of paying a higher premium but rather one of having insurance coverage at all; it wouldn’t insure the exposure.  And it was a major agricultural insurer with a strong commercial lines base.  A PYO customer could be injured from climbing a tree and yet be covered by insurance, but once the ladder was in the orchard and offered as an inducement to climb the coverage terminated.  We didn’t really argue with the carrier because we weren’t that thrilled to have ladders in the orchard anyway and it made for an easy reason to keep them out.  The trees were medium-sized and free-standing and occasionally a youngster or two would climb onto the main scaffold limbs, but all-in-all we had very few problems with climbers.  Check carefully with your insurance carrier to be sure you know the extent of your coverage.

 

Ronald L. Gaskill, Director

Congressional Relations for International Trade

American Farm Bureau Federation®

600 Maryland Ave., SW; Suite 1000W

Washington, D.C.  20024

Tel: (202) 406-3674     Fax: (202) 406-3604

Cell: (202) 213-0179    E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

 

---

From: apple-crop@virtualorchard.net [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Tommy and Sandy
Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2008 2:00 AM
To: Apple-Crop
Subject: Apple-Crop: ladders in pick your own

 

We are allowing people to pick their own apples for the last couple of years.  We didn't start out as a pick your own orchard and we have larger trees, 111, 7, and some larger 26's.

In the past we have not allowed ladders or climbing trees.  I was wondering if any other pick your own orchards allowed ladders either supplying them to people or allowing them to bring their own.  Also if ladders are allowed how much more insurance do you have to carry.  Has anyone had any bad claims because of ladders.

Thanks for responding.

 

Tommy Bruguiere

Dickie Bros. Orchard

Roseland, Va