Fruit picking opportunities
B.C. Tree Fruits does not hire or participate in the hiring of fruit pickers. For more information about fruit picking and related employment opportunities, visit the following websites:
The fruit picking season in the southern interior of British Columbia runs from about mid-June until the end of October (see the chart below). Employment opportunities vary throughout the summer depending on harvest times, weather, and crop condition and size.
Getting a job
You should have a social insurance number and be legally entitled to work in Canada before seeking work as a fruit picker. Jobs are generally available on a first come, first serve basis. Picking begins in the southern end of the valley and moves northward. Orchard conditions like weather greatly affect the timing, quantity, and quality of the crop. A poor crop means fewer available jobs.
What you can earn
If you’re an inexperienced picker, you can expect to make about $8.00 per hour, although your earnings will increase as you gain experience. Experienced pickers typically harvest 6 to 8 bins of apples per day or 50 to 60 buckets of cherries per day. Generally, you will be paid according to the type and quantity of fruit you pick. The following chart, established by the Employment Standards Branch of the British Columbia Ministry of Labour, shows the minimum piece rates – but many growers offer a premium over these minimums:
- Cherries
- Apples
- Pears
- Apricots
- Peaches
- Prune plums
- $2.05 per 10-pound bucket
- $15.60 per bin*
- $17.56 per bin
- $17.94 per half bin**
- $16.58 per half bin
- $17.56 per half bin
*A bin is 27.1 cubic feet, approximately 800 pounds of apples
**A half bin is 13.7 cubic feet
Working conditions
If you’re picking soft fruits, such as peaches or cherries, your working day will normally begin at 6 a.m. and end in the early afternoon. Apple pickers generally begin at 7 or 8 a.m., working eight or nine hours a day. It can get extremely hot in the Okanagan, particularly in the southern end of the valley, so growers are flexible in their schedules. Harvest is sometimes postponed by rain, although the Okanagan is known for its dry climate.
Accommodation
Only a few orchardists offer cabins. Some allow camping, but you’ll have to provide your own camping equipment. If you’re thinking about staying in a hotel, motel, or B&B, remember that the Okanagan valley is a tourist destination and accommodation in the summer is both expensive and hard to find. Campgrounds range from $15 to $30 a night.
Harvesting locations and dates
The British Columbia Interior’s fruit growing industry is in the Okanagan valley (from Salmon Arm in the north to Osoyoos in the south), the Similkameen valley to the west, and the Creston valley in the Kootenays to the east.
The point at which the fruit is picked can vary significantly from area to area. For example, harvesting begins up to three weeks earlier in the southern end of the Okanagan valley than in the cooler northern end of the valley.
Approximate Harvest Dates
| Crop | Area | Cities/Towns | Harvest Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apples | S. OK | Oliver, Osoyoos, Keremeos | Mid-July – Late September |
| C. OK | Penticton, Kelowna, Winfield | Early September – Late October | |
| N. OK | Oyama, Vernon, Salmon Arm | Mid-September – Late October | |
| Pears | S. OK | Oliver, Osoyoos, Keremeos | Mid-July – Late August |
| C. OK | Penticton, Kelowna, Winfield | Mid-August – Late September | |
| Peaches | S. OK | Oliver, Osoyoos, Keremeos | Late July – Mid-August |
| C. OK | Penticton, Summerland | Early-August – Late August | |
| Apricots | S. OK | Oliver, Osoyoos, Keremeos | Mid-July – Mid-August |
| C. OK | Penticton, Summerland | Late-July – Mid-August | |
| Cherries | S. OK | Oliver, Osoyoos, Keremeos | Late June – Late July |
| C. OK | Penticton, Kelowna, Winfield | Early July – Mid-August | |
| Grapes | S. OK | Oliver, Osoyoos | Late August – Late September |
| C. OK | Penticton, Kelowna, Winfield | Late September – Late October | |
| N. OK | Vernon | Late September – Late October | |
| Ground Crops | All Areas | Mid-July – Late September | |
Courtesy of Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society
Legend:
S. OK: South Okanagan
C. OK: Central Okanagan
N. OK: North Okanagan