Kiwi farming...the truth unpeeled

Early in October I started my Kiwi farming journey, I wanted to know the ins and outs of the business and what it is really like to be boots on the ground. Many people come to New Zealand on working holiday visa. Horticulture is one of the many booming businesses and it is especially appealing to travelers because of the large amount of turnover and availability for short term work. But is there more to this fast turnover than just travelers antsy to get on the road again?

Planting the seed: The hiring process

We applied for a farming job online and quickly received an email with instructions to go to a specific hostel and fill out paperwork. We did our paperwork and were informed that we would start work after the rain passed. It rained for quite a few days so we had radio silence. After a week we started to get worried that there wouldn’t be any work so we reached out to another company and it was a similar hiring process. This time we went into a store to deliver our paperwork. Eventually we got the text! After a week and a half of waiting for the fields to be dry we got a message from the first company instructing us to meet the supervisor at a gas station. And so it begins!

Patrick working hard :)

Thinning the buds: An average day on the orchard

The days were exactly the same and completely different. Our first day we arrived at the gas station and received a text that the orchard we were supposed to work in was still too wet so we got a new address, about 40 minutes away. We drove to the new address. After an hour or so of confusion as to where the orchard actually was we parked and started work. The work was boring but time moves pretty quickly because you are always doing something. The basics of the job is getting rid of malformed buds and small buds. You walk up and down small sections of an orchard the whole day. You get two paid 15 minute breaks and one unpaid 30 minute lunch (much to Patrick’s dismay, he insisted to me that we should be paid for lunch).

Our second day of the job we were sent to another orchard and worked the same job as the day before. We were allowed to listen to music or a podcast and often our supervisor would check in and chat or say good job. My fear going into kiwi farming was that the job would be monotonous and I would get bored so I prepared by downloading podcasts and music. What I was not prepared for was the neck pain! You are looking up for the entire day so you neck starts to hurt around the fifth hour of work, it is not great.

I spy with my little eye.... a bee!

The following day I was woken by a phone call at 6:00 am. The call was to inform me that work would start at 9:00 am at a new orchard. Now, if work started at 7:00 am this may make sense but work starts from 8:00-9:00 am each day so to be woken at 6am is not ideal. Anyways, we go to a new orchard. After only 15 minutes of work, I clearly hear the owner exclaim that the work is not being done properly. Our supervisor ensures him that he will check the work. After about 3 hours of thinning with supervisors encouraging us to speed up and the owner whistling at everyone to work faster, all of the workers get called to a “meeting”. We were told that our work was good but, we were working much too slowly. The man giving us this information explained that we were making him lose money and if we don’t speed up he will not be inclined to hire us again. The silly part of this “incentive” to work faster is that there is no shortage of orchards, the owner has no alternative other than another company with a very similar set of workers and he is literally paying us while this meeting is happening. As a side note this gathering in a circle brought me right back to my days on the swim team. When we wouldn’t be performing in the pool the coach would pull out the entire group and sit them down for a chat about poor performance. And as much as you felt disappointed that you weren’t performing at the expected level there was always a small part of you that was happy for the short break. This kiwi picking meeting felt eerily similar and I was just as happy for the short break. Anyways, we got back to work and after a few more hours our supervisor told us to pack up, it seems we were asked to leave by the owner. We drove down the road to a new orchard and finished the day up there.

Getting to see the sunrise is a nice bonus for kiwi farming

The fourth day. The days were really starting to drag and so was the work. It didn’t help that Patrick and were working in separate areas. Also we started work 10:30 am because it had rained. We never got a morning break, despite the fact that we worked until 6:00 pm. By the end of the day I was grumpy and ready to take my earnings and bounce.

It was Sunday the following day and contrary to my belief we did have work! But the site was an hour away so we said “no thank you” and took the day to enjoy the sun and give our necks a much needed break.

Enjoying the sun on our Sunday off.

On Monday we were at a close orchard and had a new supervisor. The farmer was friendly and the environment was a little more positive. Then it started to rain. This is where things get weird. It rains and we break for lunch. Then the supervisor speaks to the women next to us. He instructs them to meet at a gas station about 10 minutes away because we are moving orchards. He tells us to follow them. Unfortunately (or fortunately) we weren’t able to follow them, we got separated and never found the orchard. We assume work got cancelled because it started to really pour. We tried reaching out to supervisors and other contacts but they were just as confused as we were! No complaints here, we had a half day and grabbed groceries!

Where is our boss?

Going into work on Tuesday we didn't know it would be our final day of work. We arrived at the site at 9:00 am. The supervisors did not show up until 10:30, it felt like one of those moments when you are in class and the professor hasn't shown up yet and someone says, “after 15 minutes we can leave” haha. But we stayed and had a full day of work. I was day dreaming the day away and on lunch break Patrick and I decided it was our last day. The road was calling.

Harvesting the truth: Final thoughts on kiwi farming in New Zealand

Overall kiwi farming was an easy way to make some quick cash. You didn't need experience or a resume but you did need patience! Patrick and I both found that the organization was relaxed but when you were actually working there was quite a lot of pressure. A lot of the job depends on which orchard you are working. It was much more enjoyable on days when there was an uplifting supervisor and farmer. It really opened our eyes to how straining this type of work is and how important it is to be fairly compensated for the work done. We were doing bud thinning but later in the season workers will be picking the fruit which is notoriously difficult and hard on your body. We both found that there was no incentive for workers to pick faster other than the shouts from the supervisors. There could definitely be a better and kinder way to motivate workers, whether it be using an extended break or early lunch or another sort of positive tool.

Always enjoying our lunch breaks.

I think one of the most important things we learned was that a job is about more than money. We both felt a complete lack of community and opportunity to learn. In Patricks words “it feels like I am giving a day of my life for money”. This transactional way of working leaves you feeling a little empty at the end of the day. There are no new relationships formed, skills acquired or funny stories to tell. Although this job was not for us we are excited for our next adventure and eventually or next job.