ʻUlu Harvesting Support Services
Need pruning, harvesting, fertilizing, or transport help? HUC strives to support our member-producers in maintaining your operations and ensuring marketable fruit finds its way to local consumers. Please review the process below and fill out a simple request form at the bottom of this page.
Be sure you are familiar with our Harvesting Guidelines with information on best harvest practices, fruit grading, and requirements for enlisting an HUC-associated harvester to help with your crop.
Need crates? Check out our Harvest Crate Sharing Program here.
ʻUlu Harvest Support Eligibility Requirements
- HUC member in good standing
- Trees must be harvestable (25 feet tall or less). Need a pruner? Contact us.
- Willing to split fruit payment with harvester (generally 50/50, but agreement rates are between farmer & harvester)
- If you have LFA, must provide soapy water bath supplies for harvester’s use on farm
ʻUlu Harvest Support Request Process
HERE IS A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF HOW OUR HARVESTING PROGRAM WORKS:
1. Farmer-member notifies HUC staff of their need for harvesting support
2. Co-op recruits and trains third party harvesters in regions of identified need and connects harvesters directly with farmers based on geographic proximity
3. Farmer and harvester schedule initial site visit to tour property and discuss logistics (e.g. anticipated harvesting schedule/frequency, communication procedures, any property rules, roles and responsibilities vis a vis harvest tools and deliveries, etc.)
- Logistical arrangements are left up to the farmer and harvester to agree on; generally harvesters provide their own supplies and make fruit deliveries to the co-op, but in some cases farmers have supplied tools for harvesters to use or delivered fruit to the co-op themselves.
- Similarly, some harvesters visit service sites on a regular basis throughout the season while others wait for the farmer to notify them when fruit is ready to harvest. Discuss these considerations with your harvester during the initial site visit to find an arrangement that works best for you!
4. The co-op administers fruit payment directly to the harvester and farmer on their agreed upon basis (generally split 50/50 payment)
- Farmer receives record of fruit intake via email showing the price split between parties and receives FULL patronage value for the crop.
- You are welcome to establish a different compensation structure with the harvester but HUC will not directly administer payments outside of the 50/50 standard.
