Orcharding Operative

Our client, located just outside Castle Cary in Somerset, boasts beautiful cider apple orchards. This autumn, starting from mid-September, they are looking to expand their small, friendly, hardworking team for the forthcoming Cider Apple Intake Season by adding an Orcharding / Cider Apple Intake Operative.

This is a seasonal, temporary assignment running from mid-September to late November.

Key Responsibilities:

Orchard Duties:

• Drive tractors and trailers, operating machinery to collect apples.
• Transport harvested apples from the orchards to the yard.
• Use equipment like apple tree shakers and apple harvesters.

Yard Duties:

• Operate the apple transfer station to remove field debris and wash apples.
• Handle apples at the silos, including tipping and floating them to the collection area.
• Work at height on professionally installed scaffolding gantries.
• Perform general duties such as washing down the yard and cleaning up at the end of each day.

The team typically harvests and prepares 30 tons of cider apples for collection every 2 to 3 days during the season.

Requirements:

• Passionate about working outdoors with a self-motivated, positive attitude.
• Reliable with excellent time-keeping skills.
• Mature attitude towards tractor driving and operating machinery, with an awareness of the risks in horticultural farming.

Essential Qualifications:

• Living within a reasonable commute of the farm and having reliable transport.
• Good physical fitness to handle manual tasks and work on your feet all day.
• Comfortable working at height.
• Willingness to work outdoors in all weather conditions.
• Aptitude for technical, mechanical, and engineering training related to vehicle and machinery operation.

Experience in a related field is desirable but not essential, as training will be provided for the right candidate.

Opportunity:

This seasonal position is ideal for a recent agricultural college student looking to gain practical experience and earn while working in a picturesque part of Somerset.

Working Hours and Pay:

Core Hours: Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00.

Peak Season: Expect extended hours, including Saturday mornings.

If you meet the essential criteria and are excited about this opportunity, we encourage you to apply and join our client’s dedicated team for the cider apple intake season.