workers to stand on and a conveyer belt in between. The platforms can be adjusted for height. A picking belt can be attached


to the front of the harvester that will transfer fruit picked by a worker standing on the ground to the conveyer belt.


Fruit on the conveyer belt is sorted and graded, and then placed into the appropriate box at the back of the harvester. There is also a box for culls. Boxes are kept on a


superstructure above the conveyer belt until needed.


A detachable wagon at the end of the harvester facilitates transfer of boxes to cold storage.


The self-steering harvester has a small arm at the front of the machine which can be set to length depending on exact row width. When the sensor at the tip of arm touches a tree, direction of travel is corrected, resulting in a zig-zag path of progression.


Gerry Munckhof, left, and his sons, Dennis, middle, and Michael in their shop in Oliver.


that the Oliver branch of the Munckhof family has adapted to fit local needs. More than a decade ago, the tank tower sprayer was modified to fit in the narrower rows found in Okanagan orchards.


The harvester’s speed of travel can be varied as needed as can the speed of its conveyor and picking belts. “Overall we’re very happy with the machine,” said Shaw, who has good reason to be pleased.


He has seen the percentage of his peach crop that ends up as culls drop from 25 percent to 10 percent. Labour costs have also declined. “Today there are five workers. When we picked into buckets, I would have had to hire eight to nine people,” Shaw said.


Peaches can be picked much riper with the harvester, which means tastier, more appealing fruit for the customer. “You can play hockey with some of the peaches at supermarkets,” said Dennis Munckhof who works with his brother Michael and father in the family business.


Shaw also uses the machine to harvest his super spindle plantings of nectarines and for thinning and pruning.


“Formerly I needed to hire three people to help us prune and now it’s only one person. We can do the thinning by ourselves,” Shaw said. The harvester also helps to prevent injuries to workers’ knees and backs because the platforms can be adjusted to the height of the trees.


The peach harvester is not the first item of machinery developed in Europe


The carefully-directed release of spray permitted by this sprayer resulted in using less pesticide, a benefit to the grower, the consumer and the environment.


“We’ve always worked hand-in-hand with local agriculturists to develop the type of equipment they need,” Gerry said.


Looking to the future, Michael and Dennis see considerable opportunity in the design and manufacture of


machinery for use with stone fruits. Michael holds a diploma and university degree in engineering and Dennis has diplomas in both fabrication and business. High-tech machines for the wine


and fruit industries and export markets are also high on their list of opportunities.


SUSAN MCIVER


“A very important export market is South America. Our cherry packing equipment is popular in Western European countries, especially Germany, and there is lots of interest farther east in the Czech Republic, Turkey and Romania,” Dennis said. At present, Michael estimates that vineyard equipment accounts for 70 percent of total business, cherry packing lines for 25 percent and silviculture for five percent. This marks a significant shift from 10 to 15 years ago when the major portion of the business came from silviculture and orchard equipment.


Today, the company has eight full- time employees—four in fabrication and four in design and administration. Shaw and Kurylo’s orchard is also a multi-generational business. The land belonged to Kurylo’s parent until she purchased it in 1979. At the time it was planted mainly in


apples.


The couple’s three children, Hunter, 20, Jahnnie, 17, and Starr, 14, are all involved in the production and marketing of fruit.


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