[[Image:orchard.ladders.jpg|thumb|right|Orchard ladders in old farmstead apple orchard British Columbia, Canada, 2005]] Fruit picking or fruit harvesting is a seasonal activity (paid or ) that occurs during harvest time in areas with fruit growing wild or being farmed in . Some farms market "You-Pick" for orchards, such as the tradition of Apple and Navel orange picking in North America, as a form of value-add agritourism.
Although this is ultimately a method of purchasing apples, it is often a social activity as well. Apple picking is often a very popular dating ritual in the American Midwest. Apple orchards catering to a family outing will provide additional activities beyond the picking of apples. Many have , and country shops that sell related products such as home-made jams and jellies. This aspect of the activity is especially popular in the Northeastern United States & Southern Ontario and Southern Québec in Canada.
The apples that fall off the trees are often used to make apple cider. Apple cider is a juice made grinding the apples, then pressing out the juice.
There are several tests that are used to determine apple fruit maturity, and these will be described throughout this article. But before performing any measurement, the first step is to know how to collect a representative fruit sample from the orchard block.
In Australia and New Zealand, people engaging in backpacker tourism do a lot of the fruit-picking work while on a working holiday visa. The Australian government encourages people on this visa to do this sort of work for a minimum of three months so they can add another year to their visa. This benefit does not apply to all parts of Australia - one must undertake work in selected post-code areas to become eligible for the extra year.
Monoculture orchards can face particular labor-timetable issues.
==Fruit picking in art==
12. "Fruit Harvest - Determining Apple Fruit Maturity and Optimal Harvest Date". extension.psu.edu. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
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