We also farm a further 30 hectares at a satellite site near Tonbridge and we extend our blackberry growing season at the Kenardington glasshouse site near Ashford.
We grow top quality strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, apples, pears and plums for supply to the major supermarket chains. Our soft and stone fruit is marketed through Berry Gardens and our top fruit is marketed through Fruition.
Jobs
Clock House Farm is a great place to come and work!
Every year we need at least 500 additional members of staff to come and work for us to assist in the growing and harvesting of our soft, stone and top fruit crops. The soft fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries) are harvested between May and November with the stone fruit (plums) being harvested in late August. The top fruit (apples and pears) are harvested from mid-August to late October. We require a lot of help for these harvesting periods but we also employ staff for general husbandry work throughout the year.
Working at Clock House Farm is very hard work but also rewarding. The average earnings are above the UK’s National Living Wage. As we grow crops of quality fruit utilising the latest growing systems, the work is made so much easier than in times gone by. As you might expect, the work is demanding and you will be picking, carrying, lifting and bending for much of the day. Physically you need to be fit and healthy. Regrettably if you have any allergies to fruit, bees or wasps or if you have colour blindness, you will not be able to work on the farm.
You will be employed as a seasonal casual worker and much of the work is paid on a piece rate basis, which incentivises and rewards hard work and commitment. We normally work six days a week but this can vary due to weather and customer demand. When you start, you will be given a detailed induction and then on field training on your first day. Harvesting fruit is carried out in a team with a group leader and supporting harvest manager to help you optimise your picking performance. During the spring and winter months there are general horticultural duties to be undertaken including building new table top sites and constructing tunnels, planting soft fruit or pruning top fruit.
With the main harvesting season running from May to November you will be most likely to be picking strawberries, raspberries and blackberries at this time. At the peak of the summer it can be very hot and we often start at 5am to avoid being out in the extreme heat of the day. You may well be in a group of pickers who pick both strawberries and raspberries, so you need to be flexible in your abilities.
All our strawberries are grown in substrate on table top structures under tunnels so you will be picking them upright which many people find easier to harvest than the traditional soil grown systems. Raspberries and blackberries are grown under tunnels in pots and we have developed our training systems to display the fruit effectively enabling efficient harvesting. Some teams will be picking plums from mid August to mid September and others could be picking apples from mid August to late October. Apple pickers need to have strong backs but also soft hands to avoid bruising fruit whilst harvesting.
Please note we do not have a packhouse on the farm so you will not be working in a factory environment at any time.
Prior to the commencement of work each applicant is sent a welcome letter, terms & conditions of employment and details of the accommodation on offer.
Clock House Farm places great importance on Health & Safety in the workplace. Farms can be dangerous places and we expect workers to be aware and diligent towards their fellow workers within the farm environment at all times. During your initial induction you will be instructed on all relevant Fire and Health & Safety issues. You will be requested to watch a DVD to underline the importance of these matters. For those members of staff involved in the use of machinery, specific training will be arranged and if required, external assessments undertaken.
Please do not consider coming to Clock House Farm unless you are committed to working hard which in turn will mean you earn good money!
