Last year, we stumbled upon an intriguing opportunity on BackpackerBoard– a chance to be part of the All Terrain Pollination team. While we missed out on the roster last year, a call to Chris, the manager, this year changed our fortunes. Little did we know that this experience would unfold into an adventure filled with quad riding, equipment repairs, and the mesmerizing world of artificial kiwifruit pollination.
Training
Day 1: Quad Certification
The journey began with a thrilling quad certification. Many of us haven’t been on a quad bike before in our lives. Riding these machines across varied terrains was not only an exhilarating experience but also instilled confidence for the tasks ahead. The certification set the tone for what would become an unforgettable journey into the heart of kiwifruit orchards.
Day 2: Equipments and Methods
This day delved into the intricacies of the job – understanding and troubleshooting the equipments, loading and unloading the truck, and learning the art of artificial pollination. The training covered everything! There wasn’t a single obstacle later that we haven’t heard about, but they really understated how frequently real-life troubleshooting occurs. It was a hands-on lesson in adaptability and problem-solving.
What is wet pollination?
The core of our mission involved wet pollination. After mixing pollen with water and pollenaid, we embarked on quad bikes to spray the solution on the delicate gold kiwi fruit flowers. We had 45 minutes once the mixture was ready. The two-week season demanded endurance, and a lot of perserverance on covering hectars and hectars orchards.
The experience
The daily routine unfolded like a symphony. We started early in the chilly morning, that the locals described as “fresh”, driving to orchard locations, unloading the truck, meticulously mixing pollen, and spraying the solution across the orchard. By the end of the season we became a well-oiled machine. Loading up the truck, we moved on to the next job, becoming nomads of pollination. Finding the locations wasn’t always easy. GPS coordinates, street addresses and “we’ve been there before”-s doesn’t help finding the gravel road you have to follow for 10s of kilometers into the rugged hills and valleys where the bees are waiting for your help.
What started with a series of rainy days turned into an awe-inspiring experience. Enduring long hours, often exceeding 12, we forged a strong team dynamic. Soaking wet from the rain, we were drying ourselves and our clothes using the air vents of the car, while the the pollain was mixing, only to get out and sit on the wet seats of the quad again.
The challenges only strengthened our resolve, and as the sun finally emerged. Riding the bikes through the orchards while the sunlight filtered through the leaves is a view to behold. The job became not just a source of income but an adventure, the best job ever.
During the nights we(and others as well) slept in our campervan, and Chris and his extended family was nice enough to let us stay on their property, and use the showers and facilities. This was extremely well received after a long day of riding feeling wet and miserable.
All Terrain Pollination took us on a journey from uncertainty to proficiency, turning the seemingly mundane task of artificial pollination into an extraordinary adventure. Navigating orchards, troubleshooting on the fly was nothing short of magical.
Leave a Reply