Working at Castle Fruit Farm
There are often opportunities to work at Castle Fruit Farm,
depending on the time of year. The main work of course is the
fruit harvest in the summer, but before that there is need for
help with the fruit thinning, and before that there is pruning
and a whole lot of different smaller jobs.
The Work
As you have already read , we grow plums, apples and pears.
We take great pride in the quality of all our fruit. Most of our
fruit is sold through supermarkets but we also sell direct from
our farm shop and other direct sales.
Every process in the orchard makes a difference to the end
fruit and that is where you come in. Over the winter and Spring
each tree is pruned to ensure good fruitful growth. When the
blossom is over, and the bees and insects have hopefully done
their job, the tiny fruits will be forming and growing. Usually
there are too many plums on the tree and it is necessary to thin
the plums. The aim is to leave only a certain number of plums to
reach full size. This means removing the excess plums.
By the third week of July we will be picking the first
variety (Hermann ) and by the last week of July we should be
picking the Opal plums. Then there are the Reeves, the Avalon,
the Victorias and the Marjories – right through to the end of
September. We pick only the best and we pick carefully. They go
into trays, to the packhouse to be graded and packed by a team
of packers and then to Waitrose. There is one or two orders out
each day and the order changes every day depending on what has
been sold the previous day. Hopefully everyone will enjoy
English plums and the orders will be good!
 Apple and pear picking start in September. They are picked
into big bins and put into cold stores. Again, the quality of
what you pick must be high and techniques must be learned. Our
picking of fruit is entirely decided by the weather, the
ripeness and orders. This means that the work hours will vary.
If there is a quiet time then make the most of it to see a bit
of the country. When we get busy there will be no time!
There is sometimes opportunities for you to stay longer on
the farm – we are always looking for good careful workers.
Your accommodation
You sleep in dormitories or if you have applied as a couple,
we have some caravans. Please let us know in advance if you are
a couple so we can plan your accommodation. You will need a
sleeping bag, we provide a pillow and a blanket as it can be
cold early and late in the season. The rent for all the
accommodation is £30 per week.
 There
is a big shared kitchen, we provide pots and pans, cutlery and
crockery. There are plenty of supermarkets nearby and we arrange
trips for food shopping regularly.
Clothes for working
It can be wet so bring some waterproof boots and a
rainproof jacket. There are quite a lot of boots of all
sizes here if you want to take a chance.
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