So far, here's some advice.
The grapeharvest
At Champagne Tange-Gerard, we mainly hire you to pick grapes.
If you join in, there are few things, you may find useful to know.
The vines are kept a bit taller than 1,2 meters. This is rather low, when you are an adult, and on top of that, most of the grapes are situated below that heigth anyway.
Especially the green Chardonnays are not that easy to spot under the leaves. You may have to search a bit to find them all.
Change position
This means that you will often work in uncomfortable positions. With your back bent, on your knees or squat down.
It helps to change position regularly.
Which brings the next advice forward.
Knee pads
Many bring their own protection for the knees, and it is quite useful, because it enables you to move faster without hurting your knees.
Work mates
Each picker deals with one side of a row of vines.
This means that you may work close to a collegue who deals with the neighbouring row. Eventually you will take turns naturally in order not to be in the way of the other. Often the two teams don't work in excactly the same speed which solves the being in each others way in a natural way.
You work with the guy who deals with the other side of the row.
Please be careful not to cut each other.
If you notice that your collegue forgets the grapes at the bottom of the plant, you may say so, nicely, or cut these grapes yourself. What matters is that all healthy grapes are picked.
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