The Tree Nut

The tree nut harvest

We deliver the reliable, work-ready candidates your operation needs to get through a demanding season.

From field to factory, we recruit for every role

Southern Yard Hand routinely delivers strong workforces for tree nut operations throughout Australia, with extensive experience in almond and broader nut harvests along the Murray River and across South Australia, Victoria, and NSW.

  • We use rigorous recruitment processes that identify candidates’ levels of motivation, physical capability, and suitability for tree nut roles.
  • Our national footprint allows us to move high-performing workforces across picking, stockpad, and processing assignments.
  • We work with tree nut clients to develop results-based training programs, as well as metrics and targets to improve productivity every season.

We have the workforce for your operation

The tree nut harvest is one of Australia’s most intensive agricultural seasons, with operations spanning on-farm harvesting, stockpad storage, and factory processing. We source workers for every stage, from harvest machine operators, farm hands, tractor drivers, elevator operators, supervisors, QA officers, and poling and sanitisation crews in the field, through to loader operators, tarping crews, and drier operators on the stockpad.

When the crop moves into processing, we supply forklift operators, machine operators, cleaning and processing staff, and sampling and QA personnel to keep your factory running, often across 24/7 rotational shifts

Sourcing Candidates

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Tree nut harvesting demands workers who are fit, allergy-free, and able to handle long hours in a dusty environment. We screen for these qualities upfront so you don’t have to.

Sourcing Candidates

Managing variable conditions

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Weather can impact harvest timelines at short notice. We brief every candidate on this reality before they start, so they’re prepared to adapt when conditions change.

Managing variable conditions

Staff retention

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We connect workers with back-to-back opportunities across the harvest trail, giving them the security of ongoing work and the incentive to see out every placement.

Staff Retention

Recruiting for demanding processing rosters

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Processing operations often run 24/7 on rotational day and night rosters. We recruit workers who are experienced with shift work and can maintain productivity across 8–12 hour shifts.

Recruiting for demanding processing rosters

Safety and compliance

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We take care of inductions, drug and alcohol testing, and pre-employment checks, so every worker who arrives on your site is ready to work safely and in line with your requirements.

Safety and compliance

Working to your seasons and timelines

The tree nut harvest calendar does not affect our recruitment ability. We source staff year-round for casual and permanent roles, and our networks throughout Australia and overseas enable us to find workers that sync up with your timeline.

Workers who are lined up with consistent work across the season are far more committed to seeing out their placement, meaning fewer disruptions and less turnover for your operation.

We work with you to understand your requirements before securing the right people, exactly when you need them. Our expert team moves with precision and efficiency, drawing on global networks and a trusted reputation to deliver outstanding results.