The berries are ripe. Now Satnum Dheenshaw just needs some steady hands to pick them for your plate.
Farms across Canada are feeling the strain of COVID-19 travel restrictions, and Dheenshaw’s Gobind Farms is no different.
“We lost a lot of kale because we didn’t have enough pickers,” he says.
The farm reduced their planting because of the staffing and distribution challenges caused by the pandemic but there are still lots of berries.
“We’re making some headway, but we’re still short-staffed,” Dheenshaw says. “We’re really grateful to the people who’ve come out to give berry picking a try. It’s helping us provide fresh, local berries to our community.”
4 reasons berry picking is an ideal summer job
- The more you pick the more you earn – Berry pickers earn a piece rate, meaning they’re paid by the pound, not by the hour. That means the faster you pick, the more money you can make. If you work hard and learn to be efficient, your paycheque will grow.
- Fresh air and exercise – “Berry picking is hard work,” Dheenshaw says. “There’s a big difference between picking a few gallons with your family and working under the hot sun all day.” Still, working at Gobind Farms is better than being cooped up in an office or retail store all day.
- Consistent hours, to September and beyond – Gobind Farms has been picking strawberries since May 18, and with close to 15 acres of strawberries alone, there will be plenty of work until mid-October. “The raspberries will be ready between June 15 and 21, then all the other berries are ready shortly after,” Dheenshaw says. With planting, weeding, and harvesting of crops like kale, rhubarb and zucchini, there’s plenty of work available at flexible hours. “Workers can start at 7 or 8 in the morning, whenever they’re able to get here, and work until 3 or 5 p.m. – whatever they can handle!”
- Family-friendly – Gobind Farms is a family business, and owner Dheenshaw spends a lot of time in the fields beside his employees. Dheenshaw’s mother and father started the farm in 1980 with just five acres. Mom (or “Grandma” as she’s known) is still active in the 90-acre farm’s market every day.
Visit Gobind Farms 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to buy freshly picked berries, jams, syrups, and frozen berries. Minutes from the Patricia Bay Highway off Keating Cross Road at 6929 Veyaness Road. For more information about working at the farm email gobindfarms@hotmail.com.