Picking Apples
April 14, 2010
Yesterday I went apple picking with a contracting gang in Hastings. We were bringin in Braeburn. Apple growing is a $300m+ industry in Hawke’s Bay. Many, many families are dependent on a good season for their incomes.
I was given instructions as to which apples to pick, which to leave and why, size, colour, damage. This was the first pick of this orchard, the remaining apples will be picked in about 10 days. It is not simply a matter of pulling in any and every apple. In fact I found the hardest part was deciding which apples to leave behind as intuitively I wanted to pick them all.
My co-picker, George, was very patient with me as I got to grips with the task. Watching him in action was legendary. He seemed to float between trees, up the ladder, arms moving all the time but never wating any energy or time rapidly filling his extra large picking bag.
Co-incidentally this was the day after news of the interim report into NZ apple access to Australia. It seems ages ago when Chris Tremain and I dressed in our NZ and Aussie cricket gear re-enacting that infamous moment in cricketing relations between NZ and our friends across the ditch. It is great that we have finally made progress, but we need to keep the champagne in the fridge until the final report is released, mid year, and is accepted by all parties to the WTO action
