Shake it up

We thought you might like a look at our heavy machinery. For the cherry harvest we use machines called shakers and receivers. They make the process much more efficient. The shakers are driven mostly by family, who have to learn to drive these large machines and line them up next to the tree, grab it, and shake it until the cherries fall off (when they are ripe).  Someone else drives a bin along the other side to catch the fruit, which is then taken in by our many tractor drivers to the cannery to be removed of their stems, pits, and defects before they are packaged.  Here are some pictures of the shaking process. A video of the cannery will be up in the near future.  We have run into some glitches this year, but have been able to figure them out as they come. I'm pretty sure there is at least one unexpected problem every year, so let's just say we have to be flexible.

The shaker and receiver funnel the cherries down to a conveyer belt.

The belt brings the cherries up and to the actual bin.

There is a blower on the converyer belt to get rid of leaves and
 junk before they go into the bins.  It can get a little messy....

We run all day and night during harvest, so many of our workers come for a night shift.  It might mess up the sleeping schedule a bit, but it is a lot more cool out there while working!  Look below for pictures of any of your family or friends working in the fields.  Don't judge the look, they have all been workin' hard outside.  Maybe not their most glamorous moments, but still lookin' good.

Being crippled doesn't stop him from ordering people around at the cannery ;)

Slight mishap with a crazy driver pulling in front of a tractor.
Definitely reminded everyone that you have to stay alert
on the job! Everyone is OK.