CHESTNUT CHARLIE'S

    If you can pick pennies from the ground, you can pick chestnuts !!

We are looking to hire chestnut harvesters--flexible schedule, no experience required

Apply below

Our harvest starts mid-September and continues thru to mid-October, more or less.  We harvest from about 9:30 am to dark every day.

Chestnuts are gathered by hand from the ground under the trees.  Employees are assigned a row of trees and given buckets and heavy leather gloves (provided).  The assigned row is thoroughly picked clean of all burrs and chestnuts.  This is for several reasons---chestnuts left on the ground lose quality quickly and foster insect pests--also burrs impede succeeding harvesters.  Full buckets of burrs and nuts are taken to one of several cleaning stations in the field where the harvester separates the nuts and discards the burrs.  Harvesters then tote the chestnuts to the cleaning shed for weighing.

Harvesters will need a SS# and must complete a W-4 at the start of their first day.

Chestnut harvesters are paid by weight of the de-burred nuts, with bonus rates for reliability:

(below 50 lbs is considered u-pick--see u-pick information below)

Basic rate              55cents per pound up to 250 lbs

Bonus rate             60cents per pound over 250 lbs during the season

″Hard Core″ rate    65cents per pound over 750 lbs during the season

Bonus payments of an extra 5 cents per pound will also be given for lean harvesting days (early or late season)

Payday is Oct. 1 and also end of harvest (about Oct. 15).  Bonuses are paid on an individual′s cumulative harvest.  A diligent adult worker can reasonably expect to gather 15 lbs per hour, or more.  Harvesters typically enjoy working about 4 hours a day. 

We recommend all harvesters wear sturdy shoes (keep in mind the grass is heavy with dew in the mornings), big hats, long pants and long sleeves to protect against the sharp chestnut burrs which sometimes fall from above.  Children should bring child-sized gloves.  Harvesters are responsible for their own personal bug repellent and sunscreen. Families are welcome and can harvest as teams--children under 12 should have adult supervision present.  We are an organic farm and do not use herbicides or pesticides but that doesn't mean that we are risk-free.  Some natural pests and allergens could be encountered.  There are honeybee hives nearby.  Harvesters are not supervised and will be responsible for themselves.  For further information, email: nuts2sell@aol.com, or call 785-841-8505 (our home).

Chestnut Harvesters Application:

If you are interested in harvesting at our organic chestnut orchard, fill out the form below

We take first come, first serve and will contact you when the nuts begin to fall and your services are needed.

Please remember that while we work with your schedule, once you've agreed to show up, we really count on you