12—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 21,1971
Consumers get Lower Prices and an ‘Experience*
Pkk-lt-Yourself Marketing Helps Solve Labor Problems
Spiraling labor costs and a
decreasing supply of farm labor
have forced more than a few
fruit and vegetable growers to
switch to other crops or leave
farming altogether.
Many other producers are
taking a closer look at pick-it
yourself marketing in an at
tempt to overcome the farm
labor dilemma.
The number of pick-it-your
self marketing operations has
increased substantially during
the last five years, notes Roger
Cinder, extension crops mar
keting specialist at the Univer
sity of Delaware This practice
may become even more popu
lar as the labor market con
tinues to tighten.
Gmder says locating efficient that period In addition, farm
picking crews in the East is a ers do not have to supply hous
serious problem, and there is ,ing and many other fringe
no sign this situation will im- benefits,
prove in the future Part of this Strawberries
problem is attributed to the fact At Valley Brook Farm near
that many growers raise only Townsend, Del, Nicholas J
two or three crops that have to ' Uniatowski had 15 acres of
be hand picked. Most good pick- strawberries this year for pick
ing crews want continuous iti-yourself customers He start
work throughout the summer ed opening his berry patches
rather than two or three weeks to customers four year’s ago
of work on one farm. “We’ve had strawberries for
Stricter labor camp regula- over 10 years,” explains Uni-
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tions have resulted in higher in
direct labor costs for many
farmers. Higher piece rates pei
unit picked have also contri
buted to the farm labor prob
lems.
Of course, pick-it-yourself
marketing requires some la
bor, but of a different type.
Many farmers get by with fami
ly labor, while a minimum of
outside help is necessary in
most of the larger operations
Local housewives, retirees,
teenagers and college students
can handle many of the tasks
in pick-it-yourself operations.
These employees are willing to
work for a few weeks during
the season and neither want
nor expect employment beyond
atowski. “But we were always
able to obtain picking crews to
harvest the crop until four
year’s ago That year, we had
men signed up to pick our ber
ries, but when the crop was
ready to be harvested, the pick
ers didn’t show up We had the
crop but no pickers so we open
ed the fields to the public.
“Last year was the first year
we sold our entire crop of
strawberries to pick-it-yourself
customers,” he adds
Uniatowski had seven acres of
strawberries for customers to
pick that first year. Kis trade
has grown so rapidly, however,
that he has more than doubled
his acreage since.
At Laurel, Del., Carlton Lowe
has been marketing strawber
ries from the field for five
years He has close to eight
acres of strawberries for his
customers to pick.
“We still market some of our
strawberries through a local
auction, but there has been a
definite increase in the demand
for pick-it-yourself berries,”
says Lowe.
Other Crops, Too
Both of these producers use
(Continued on Page 13)