It’s harvest time in the United States! Of course, we say that halfway jokingly...it’s always harvest season for some fruit or vegetable, depending on the crop and where it’s grown in the country. Something is always being harvested in either California or Florida, and increasingly in places like Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico. So while backyard gardeners are starting to pick their garden tomatoes, orchard owners are stopping by Frostproof all year in order to pick up their harvesting tools. That includes picking bags, one of the most common orchard supplies needed across the country.
Why are picking bags so important? The answer is obvious when it comes to certain fruits that either a) can’t be harvested by machines or, b) the machines are too expensive and picking by hand just makes more sense financially. So we’ll ask a question that’s even more pressing: Why is it so important to purchased dedicated, high-quality picking bags? That’s a question we’re going to investigate today as we discuss one of the most important harvesting tools out there.
Picking Bags Should Be Sturdy
It’s important to purchase high-quality picking bags for many reasons. You don’t want them to spill the fruit all over the ground, which could lead to lost inventory. Lost inventory isn’t just bad for you, but the worker as well. And if a picker is in a tree, you don’t want 50 pounds of fruit falling and hitting someone below.
Picking bags should hold up to whatever the job throws at them. Not only should they be able to handle their designated weight in fruit, but they should do so for multiple seasons. They also have to withstand the constant scrape of branches and the wear of being set down on the ground during breaks. Many of the picking bags we carry are reinforced in heavy wear spots and at the seams, ensuring they hold up to harsh conditions experienced in the picking season.
And let’s not ignore the fact that you want your picking bags sturdy so that you don’t have to keep buying them again and again. The higher the quality, the less likely you’ll have to replace them anytime soon.
Picking Bags Should Be Comfortable
Picking bags have evolved quite a bit over the years. While they used to just be a Grapes of Wrath-style over-the-shoulder bag, picking bags of today are designed to be comfortable and are made to fulfill their purpose in an efficient and comfortable way.
Why is comfort so important when it comes to picking bags? Besides the most important point — basic human kindness to workers — here are more excellent reasons to grab high-quality harvesting tools like our picking bags.
Workers Can Work Longer
If workers want to work longer hours, you’re probably going to let them. After all, they want the extra pay that comes from picking more, and you need to get your harvest to market as quickly as possible.
When a picking bag is more comfortable, workers can wear them for longer without getting fatigued. Since they are highly adjustable and able to be switched from side to side, workers can wear them in a way that’s most comfortable for them.
Comfort Makes Workers Better Tomorrow
The first day of harvesting is usually pretty productive, since workers aren’t exhausted from the previous day’s work. But by the second day, productivity can slip because they’re feeling the work they did on the first day. Backaches are probably the most common complaint, and that’s often due to picking bags being improperly hung from the shoulder.
The more comfortable the picking bag is, the more comfortable — and more efficient — workers will be. Losing productivity to aches and pains can be avoided by buying the right harvest picking bags.
Comfort Prevents Injury
You certainly don’t want anyone in your orchard to be injured, and top-tier picking bags can be one way to avoid injuries...including back injuries. Properly designed fruit picking bags will help workers carry the fruit in the right place on their bodies, which can prevent injuries to their backs and help them balance on ladders better. Nobody wants to have to deal with OSHA or other regulatory entity because of worker injuries, so do everything you can to prevent them from happening in the first place.
Comfort Is Kindness
We said it again, but we’re going to repeat it because it’s so important: Providing your workers with comfortable bags is just the right thing to do.
Picking Bags Should Be The Right Size
It’s becoming more and more evident that much of the world has been designed around an average-height, average-weight caucasian male. The problem is, when you design something based on an average, nearly everyone is left out because so few people match those average figures!
At Frostproof Growers Supply, we make sure to offer enough different picking bags so that your workers will have the one that’s right for their physique. We carry Cordura picking bags that hold between 65 pounds and 100 pounds, as well as vinyl picking bags that hold between 45 pounds and 90 pounds.
Of course, it’s also important to have the right picking bags on hand for the fruit you’re harvesting. For particularly soft fruits, you probably won’t want to put them in 90 pounds bags due to the fact that all of that weight at the top of the bag could crush everything underneath.
Do You Need The Best Harvesting Tools Around?
We’ve talked time and again about the many reasons you should pick the best harvesting tools you can find. Whether you’re buying pairs of fruit clippers, picking gloves, harvest shears, or fruit picking bags, you should always find the highest-quality items that are best for your orchard and your workers.
Frostproof Growers Supply carries the best fruit picking equipment around, and we have it on hand so that you can get to work bringing in the harvest. Click here to find all of our harvesting gear no matter what month it is!