My girlfriend and I spent two months of the summer of 2017 working on vineyards and cherry farms in the Okanagan Valley—a fertile, dry, sunny land blessed with a string of glassy lakes that Canadian tourists thirsty for vitamin D flock to each summer to vacation, and migrant workers from Quebec, Mexico and Europe, hungry for Canadian dollars, adventure, or both, flock to each summer to pick the cherry harvest.
We learned a lot in our two months picking fruit—and mostly because we didn’t know shit before we arrived. But you can be smarter and more prepared than us. If you want to avoid making some of the same dumbass mistakes we made, here’s a list of the ten most important things to know before you pick cherries in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada:
Wheels! If you’re not going to invest in a ride you best be ready to hitchhike. We spent two months hitchhiking, from Kelowna to Oliver, from Oliver to camp, camp to work, work back to camp—here to there and back again! It’s a real hoot for a couple days, but when all you want is a decent meal and some mofo’n WIFI and it takes an hour and a half to go five kilometers, you get worn out! Luckily, there’s cars and vans for sale all over the Okanagan Valley. If you can swing $1000 (sometimes less) you’ve got a ride. I recommend coming with a small group (no more than 4) and pulling your money to buy a car. Otherwise you’ll be hitchhiking and walking door-to-door asking for a job with the suckers (we were the suckers). Plus having a car will enable you to escape the monotony of work, camp, work, camp and enjoy some of the beautiful lakes and sites the Okanagan Valley has to offer.
Seasons. Predicting when the cherries will ripen isn’t always easy, especially when you don’t know shit about Canadian seasons or farming. I figured the cherries would ripen when we showed up, like that Pablo Neruda poem, but in the end, we were three weeks early! —which meant we had to find a job doing other less exciting farm tasks while we waited out the cherries. Tip: Don’t buy your tickets months in advance to save $100 bucks. Do some goddamn research (screaming at past self)! Look up a local business in Osoyoos or Oliver and call ahead, or better yet, call the BC Works Office in Oliver.
The tent. Before I flew to Vancouver, I went HAM (& Cheese) on Amazon. I got a lot of great stuff, like a hammock that fit in a little bag and only cost $18! But I also screwed the pooch when it came to the most important thing of all—our tent. Shopping online can be cheap and easy, but remember—it is the size of the tent that matters! Also, Kelowna and Oliver have stores like Canadian Tire, and flee marts on the weekends where you can buy everything you need. If I was to do it over again (which I won’t be), I would travel light and buy everything when I arrive.
Electronics. Boost mobile doesn’t have service in Canada, a fact that would’ve been great to know before I found myself, well, in Canada…Make sure your phone service is on point. Also, bring a rechargeable battery, a music playing device (picking cherries is better with a soundtrack), and a battery powered lantern.
Don’t expect to get rich. Cherry picking is about speed and efficiency. You get paid by the pound. If you’re fast, you can make $200-250 a day. But most new pickers aren’t fast. Expect to make about half that much, maybe less, at least during your first couple of weeks. It’s not unusual for new pickers to make in the range of $50-75 a day. That said, a day is only about 6 to 7 hours of work and you’re done before noon.
Loose Bay Campground. If you intend to camp while you’re picking cherries this campground in Oliver will likely be your first stop. It’s subsidized by local farms and municipalities, and only cost $5 a night per person. At full capacity there can be over 200 people camping there—almost all young migrant workers and adventurers from Quebec, Mexico and Europe. It’s a wild place, and if you’re offended by the smell of “reefer”—actually, if you still call weed “reefer”—it’s probably not the place for you
(The tent that was too small for two)It’s hot. I had no idea, but it turns out there actually is a sun in Canada—and it’s hot as a mofo! In the Okanagan Valley in July the sun rises around 4:30 AM and shouts at the back of your neck until 9:30 at night. One day I saw a guy at Loose Bay light his bong with a magnifying glass (at breakfast)—which says something not only about the intensity of the sun but the general sense of community and culture at Loose Bay Campground. Note: There were over 200 forest fires burning in BC when we were there, and often the smoke came over the mountains thick as thieves. If you’re picking cherries, it’s so hot you only work ‘til about 11AM because once the afternoon sun is up the cherries burst between your fingers and turn to sloppy juice in your bucket.
It will be difficult. This isn’t exactly a trip to the beach. You will have to climb ladders, wake up at 4AM, probably hitchhike, sleep uncomfortably, and potentially eat like shit. Which brings me to my next point…
Cooking/Eating/Health. Take care of yourself! Buy pots and pans, can openers, utensils, bring a protein or high calorie supplement if you can, chia seeds and all that good shit, especially if you have a vehicle to store stuff in. Maybe even bring some soap, and something to wash your teeth with (just cause you’re an open-minded hippie doesn’t mean you have to smell like one!) I also recommend doing light yoga and meditating. The migrant worker lifestyle isn’t exactly good for your body. If you’ve got good habits, try to keep them going when you hit the road.
A hammock! The best thing I purchased before arriving in Canada was a tree hammock. After a long day’s work, there’s nothing like firing up a spliff and swaying gently in your hammock as the sun falls orange over the mountains.
Good luck friends! Shoot me a message if you have any questions about picking cherries in British Columbia, Canada and I’ll be happy to help you in any way I can.
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(Yeah that's right, swingin' in my mofo'n hammock like a G)
(Cherry Farm in Kelowna, migrant worker camp.)
(The town of Oliver where Loose Bay Campground is located)
(Sun! Sun! & Canada Day!!!)
(One of many lakes in the Okanagan Valley)
(A path, a mountain, a tree and a bird)
(The road to Loose Bay Campground is long and blurry)
