Blueberry Picking / Packing
The Mighty Berry! The Blueberries of Australia – Come and Join the Harvest
Blueberries
Tasty, sweet and one of the most popular berries of all time that also has amazing health benefits. It contains essential flavonoid, known as anthrocyanins, and it also provide minerals which is beneficial to the body like calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, manganese, copper, phosphorus, beta-carotene, choline, folate, vitamin A and vitamin E. Blueberries are powerful antioxidant because it contains compounds like quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin, and chlorogenic acid. No wonder blueberries belong to the top when it comes to food containing large amount of phytochemicals and antioxidants.
Blueberries help decrease risks of cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes. It also aid in supporting bone structure. The mighty berry also aids in weight loss, digestion and believe it or not, it can even help you to become younger-looking.
There are many creative ways to incorporate blueberries in your diet. Mix it with you cereals and smoothie and even put it in you pancake mix. If you know how to bake, why not fold it on your muffin.
Blueberries have different varieties – lowbush, highbush, and rabbiteye. Between the months of June and February, blueberries are being harvested in Queensland; December to April at Southern Victoria; January to April at Tasmania and December to March at Western and South Australia.
It is not advisable to pick blueberries during rainy season. Picking blueberries is “easy” compared to other fruits like banana. You will walk in between the 30-cm blueberry plant while canvassing which berries are ready for harvest. A small bucket is going to be tied around your waist. It is where you will put all the harvested berries. Blueberries are hand-picked and although it is typically “easy,” remember that you will still work under the sun so you better prepare. Work usually starts between 8:30 to 9:00 am so that the morning dew has been dried off the fruit. Work will last until four in the afternoon or even later during summer. Keep yourself hydrated and protect yourself from the sun. Have sunscreen on hand and re-apply as often as you need. Picking blueberries whole day can be boring so entertain yourself by listening to music or even podcast while picking.
After picking, it is necessary to pack the berries in a cardboard tray and keep in a cool storage. These are then delivered to supermarkets all across Australia.
Aside from picking blueberries, there are also job opportunities in packing blueberries. It is actually easier primarily because you are going to work inside an air-conditioned room and when it’s summer – it is heaven working inside a room that is cold.
When working as a fruit picker in a blueberry farm, you will not only pick it but you will also act as the quality controller – you will choose the berries with high quality and separate berries that are not up to quality standard. Salary is usually on a piece rate basis, which means, the more berries you pick the more money you are going to make.
Picking fruits can keep you in touch with nature. It allows you to experience first hand what nature and its gift has to offer.
