It is strawberry season in the upper midwest and our go-to location is Lindy’s Berries. We pick our own and also purchase when the farm sells in communities near where we live.
If you pick your own, there is a substantial price break. It is hard and hot work, but the difference between $13 and $22 (Facebook page) is substantial and picking your own is enjoyable. There is no extra charge for sampling as you work.
If you looked at my post from last year, you will notice that the cost has gone up from $20 to $22. A couple of years ago when we first started purchasing these berries the price was $16. You might call this inflation.
Here is the thing about inflation in berry farming. There is a lot of hand labor involved in the process. Hence the difference between pick your own and purchasing picked. BTW – Lindy’s like so many businesses is having trouble finding enough workers and the cost per bucket for pickers has gone up. The Facebook page contains an application if you need summer work. Here is the segment regarding pay.
Pay: How much could I make picking strawberries? Because we hire pickers as young as 12 and all the way up to adults in their 50’s and 60’s the pay varies greatly. If you are dedicated, come to work as many days as possible, and work hard, the pay is great! In 2022, Lindy’s Berries hired over 75 pickers. Several pickers made well over $1,200 in the 22 days we picked, and several made over $2,000. The average total for pickers that worked 75% of the days we picked was about $850. This year we will be paying $4.50 for every bucket you pick. Payment is by check every Monday for buckets picked the prior Sunday-Saturday. We withhold 7.65% for your portion of FICA and Social Security taxes. You will be sent a W2 in January for your earnings and withholding information.
Aside from the cost of production, there are salaries involved in picking and in transportation and labor at the multiple locations selling the berries. The costs for the product take these increasing costs into consideration. So, you can fight inflation by driving to a berry field and picking your own or you can pay a little more, be thankful some poor kids who are out in the fields are making a little more money, and complain about inflation to those willing to take pay cuts to bring down prices.