Uploaded March 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
What would it be like to work as a migrant fruit picker in a foreign land?
This video from Stevenson Orchards in Huonville Tamania shares a slice of life from Australia's Apple Isle south of Hobart Tasmania. The Stevensons took a chance on hiring a 31-year-old picker from America's most famous apple-growing region, Washington State. After a slow and rocky start, I worked alongside pickers from Italy, France, England, Palestine and Australia to become their longest working picker of that picking season from February through April thanks to tortoise-like fortitude and a 1-year working holiday visa. During the last 2 months of employment
While many apple orchards have switched to cherries and the higher profit margins they often bring, Huon Valley Orchardists Adrian and Scott Stevenson have carried on with evolving varieties of apples in their 5 generation family business.
Making a living from a small orchard is a challenge but Scott is unperturbed that he is flying in the face of the prevailing view that you have to get bigger to stay in business.
“It is an ever-changing industry with new opportunities for varieties and improvements to growing practices every year,” Scott says.
“The possibility of handing over a successful business to the next generation is exciting.”
For more details on their orchard, check out the link below from which some of the text above was sourced:
https://apal.org.au/new-varieties-provide-inspiration-return/
During my stay, I earned AUD30 per bin and filled 3-4 bins per day. Employment included camping at no extra charge. After a couple of pickers residing in the hut left, I had the good fortune of having a picker's hut to myself for the last two months of my stay. in 2009, a 1-year working holiday visa cost AUD200. As of January 2020, the cost of this visa has increased to AUD485.
More Info on Working Holiday Visas in Austalia can be found at this link:
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/work-holiday-417
Music by:
Lojo Russo
"Willow's Walk"
What would it be like to work as a migrant fruit picker in a foreign land?
This video from Stevenson Orchards in Huonville Tamania shares a slice of life from Australia's Apple Isle south of Hobart Tasmania. The Stevensons took a chance on hiring a 31-year-old picker from America's most famous apple-growing region, Washington State. After a slow and rocky start, I worked alongside pickers from Italy, France, England, Palestine and Australia to become their longest working picker of that picking season from February through April thanks to tortoise-like fortitude and a 1-year working holiday visa. During the last 2 months of employment
While many apple orchards have switched to cherries and the higher profit margins they often bring, Huon Valley Orchardists Adrian and Scott Stevenson have carried on with evolving varieties of apples in their 5 generation family business.
Making a living from a small orchard is a challenge but Scott is unperturbed that he is flying in the face of the prevailing view that you have to get bigger to stay in business.
“It is an ever-changing industry with new opportunities for varieties and improvements to growing practices every year,” Scott says.
“The possibility of handing over a successful business to the next generation is exciting.”
For more details on their orchard, check out the link below from which some of the text above was sourced:
https://apal.org.au/new-varieties-provide-inspiration-return/
During my stay, I earned AUD30 per bin and filled 3-4 bins per day. Employment included camping at no extra charge. After a couple of pickers residing in the hut left, I had the good fortune of having a picker's hut to myself for the last two months of my stay. in 2009, a 1-year working holiday visa cost AUD200. As of January 2020, the cost of this visa has increased to AUD485.
More Info on Working Holiday Visas in Austalia can be found at this link:
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/work-holiday-417
Music by:
Lojo Russo
"Willow's Walk"
