Welcoming the volunteer pickers#

As the pick-leader, it is absolutely necessary that you arrive at the pick site before anyone else so that you can receive and manage the volunteer pickers. Please do not be late!

A fruit pick is a fun, social activity, and a large part of your role as pick leader consists of ensuring that everyone enjoys themselves. To facilitate this, please welcome the volunteer pickers with a smile, encourage introductions to one another, and initiate conversation if you’re comfortable doing so (if you’re more introverted, don’t worry! – generally, volunteer pickers get to work right away and often end up chatting a lot among one another).

Let the volunteer pickers know that the pick won’t start until everyone has arrived. That being said, don’t wait too long to start (max. 10-15 minutes after scheduled meeting time), as occasionally volunteers simply don’t show up.

If volunteers who arrive early or on time are impatient to get started, ask them to help you with preparatory tasks such as picking up fruit already on the ground (to be discarded or composted). Volunteer pickers should wait for the green light from you before starting the pick.

Ensure that each volunteer picker (or parent/guardian of a minor picker) signs a liability discharge waiver before starting the pick.

Take note of any no-show volunteers; this information needs to be recorded in the database.

Once all the volunteer pickers have arrived, and before your start the pick, you must convey the following important information to them:

  • “Thank you all for being here to save fruit with Les Fruits Défendus today!”

  • “We will begin by cleaning up all the “lost fruit” that’s already on the ground (fruit that fell before we arrived) and then surveying the pick area to make sure it is safe for us to work. We won’t begin the pick until the area is clean and safe.”

    • Offer gloves and distribute trash bags for collection of the fruit on the ground.

  • “The fruit we harvest today will be divided into thirds: 1/3 for the tree owner (if applicable), 1/3 for a beneficiary organization, and 1/3 for us to share.”

  • “Be aware that we are on private property, so it’s very important to take extra precaution to not damage anything during the pick. Please be respectful! Also be aware of…”

    • Point out any potential hazards at the pick site, including plants/foliage to avoid contact with, uneven terrain, electrical/phone lines, etc.

  • “It’s also very important not to damage the tree that we’ll be harvesting. Most importantly, do not shake the tree, as this can damage its roots and inhibit fruit production in future seasons. If you’re going to climb the tree, be careful not to scrape the trunk with your shoes or break the branches.”

    • Ensure beforehand if the tree owner approves of pickers climbing the tree

  • “Your safety is our top priority. We’ll do our best to harvest as much fruit as possible, but it’s not worth it to put yourself in danger in an effort to collect more fruit. Be mindful of your own physical limits. We will likely not be able to harvest the whole tree, and it’s not the end of the world! Finally, please do not climb on any structures on the property (e.g. roof of garage, picnic table or other lawn furniture) unless we have permission from the tree owner to do so.”

    • Review with the volunteers, our safe practices for ladder use (Annex 2): always have a spotter, never stand on the top step, always have three points of contact on the ladder at all times.

  • “In case of an accident, we have a first aid kit.”

    • Show them where it is located.

  • “We will be composting or disposing of all the fruit that’s already on the ground. The fruit that falls during the pick (“freshly fallen fruit”) will be collected but kept separate from the fruit that hasn’t touched the ground. Freshly fallen fruit cannot be given to tree owners or beneficiary organizations, as it might be contaminated with E. coli bacteria. We (the volunteer pickers) can keep this fruit, but we should be sure to wash it before eating/using it.”

  • “Picking techniques vary depending on the fruit. I’ll show you the best way to pick the fruit we’re working with today.”

    • Demonstrate how to pick the fruit, and verbally explain best practices

  • Answer any questions volunteer pickers might have

Remember

Have each volunteer picker sign a liability waiver form

Once you’ve given all the instructions, answered any questions posed, cleaned up all the fruit on the ground, and securely installed the ladder… you can invite the volunteers to start picking!