Shepparton Farm Work Guide: Fruit Picking Jobs, Seasons & How to Start

Shepparton is one of the best places in Australia to find fruit picking work. The Goulburn Valley around it grows about a quarter of the country’s fruit.

It sits about 180km north of Melbourne in northern Victoria. Locals call it the food bowl, and the name fits. Orchards run for kilometres in every direction, growing peaches, nectarines, apricots, pears, apples and cherries, plus big tomato fields. The old SPC cannery in town has packed the region’s fruit for over a century.

This guide covers what’s picking when, the best time to arrive, where to stay, and how to steer clear of the dodgy operators.

What farm work is available in Shepparton

Shepparton is a fruit region first. The big, steady work is in orchards: picking and packing stone fruit, apples, pears and cherries. Tomatoes fill in over summer, and pruning gives you work in the colder months.

The takeaway: summer is the busiest stretch. From December to March, stone fruit, apples, pears and cherries all overlap, so there’s plenty of work. Pruning keeps things ticking over through autumn and winter.

For the full national picture, see our Fruit Picking Seasons Australia guide, or check what’s picking right now.

When to arrive

Arrive in late November or early December.

That’s when cherries are going and the stone fruit harvest is starting to build. Land before Christmas and you get a head start on work and a bed before the crowds turn up. The busiest hiring runs from the start of the season to the end of January, so being there early matters.

Get in then and you can string together steady work from cherries through stone fruit and into the apple and pear harvest, which runs all the way to May.

If you arrive later in autumn, pruning work picks up from April. It’s slower and less of it about, but it counts toward your visa days and keeps you going through the quiet months.

Where the work is, crop by crop

Stone fruit is the heart of it. Apricots kick off in December, then peaches and nectarines run through January and February into March. It’s fast, hot summer work, usually piece rate, so your pay depends on your speed. This is where most of the summer listings sit.

Apples and pears pick from December right through to May. This is the longest season in the valley. Demand is highest from the start of the season to the end of January, then it steadies out. Good work if you want months in one place.

Cherries run November to February. The season is short and the picking is delicate, but it’s a clean way to start before stone fruit ramps up.

Tomatoes come in over summer, January to May, with strong demand for backpackers from January to April. Field work, plenty of it, and it lines up neatly with the orchard seasons.

Pruning and thinning fill the colder months from April to October. Less work about, but it keeps you earning and counts toward your 88 days.

Browse live roles on the Victoria farm work page and the fruit picking jobs page.

Where to stay

You’ve got three main options around Shepparton.

Working hostels. These connect you with farm jobs and run transport to and from the orchards. Shepparton and nearby Mooroopna both have them. They’re a fast way to land work and meet people doing the same thing. Prices are low compared to the coast: think roughly $40 to $60 a week for a shared room or camping spot, more for a private room. The catch is the same everywhere. A bed does not guarantee a good job, so ask exactly what work they place people into before you hand over money.

Caravan parks and share houses. Cheaper if you’ve got your own transport and can find your own work. Good once you’ve got a job locked in.

On-farm accommodation. Some orchards include a room or a camping spot, with the cost taken out of your pay. Handy and close to the work, but check the deal in writing first.

Nearby towns like Mooroopna, Tatura, Cobram and Kyabram all sit in the same fruit-growing belt, so widen your search if Shepparton itself is full.

Is Shepparton farm work 88-days eligible?

Yes. Shepparton and the Goulburn Valley are in an eligible postcode for the Working Holiday visa.

That means picking, packing and pruning on a farm here counts toward the 88 days of specified work you need for a second-year visa. Stone fruit, apples, pears, cherries, tomatoes, all of it counts, as long as it’s on an eligible farm and you keep your payslips.

If you’re working toward your extension, read our 88 days farm work guide first. It explains what counts, what doesn’t, and how to keep your paperwork straight so your days actually get approved.

A straight word on scams

Most operators in the valley are fine, but not all of them. Like every big fruit region, Shepparton has had problems with wage underpayment and dodgy labour-hire middlemen taking advantage of backpackers.

Protect yourself:

• Deal direct where you can. A job straight from a grower or a named, reviewed employer beats an anonymous middleman.
• Never pay a fee for a job. Paying for accommodation is normal. Paying someone to “get” you a job is not.
• Know your piece rate. On piece rate you should earn at least 15 percent above the minimum hourly rate, and you should get a piecework agreement before you start.
• Get a payslip. No payslip is a red flag. So is a vague “you’ll earn heaps” with no real number.

A good operator will answer all of this without fuss. A bad one will dodge it. That tells you what you need to know.

The bottom line

Shepparton is one of Australia’s best fruit regions for picking work, and the cost of living is lower than the coast. Stone fruit, apples, pears and cherries carry the busy summer, tomatoes fill in, and pruning keeps you going through the colder months. Arrive before Christmas, sort a safe place to stay, deal with people who pay properly, and you can put together a long, steady run here.

Ready to start? Browse live farm jobs in Victoria, or compare it with our Mildura farm work guide on the other side of the state.

Frequently Asked Questions

What farm work is available in Shepparton?

Shepparton sits in the Goulburn Valley, which grows about a quarter of Australia’s fruit. The main work is stone fruit like peaches, nectarines and apricots (December to March), apples and pears (December to May), cherries (November to February) and tomatoes (January to May). Tree pruning runs April to October. Picking and packing are the most common backpacker jobs.

When should I arrive in Shepparton for the stone fruit season?

Arrive in late November or early December to line up work and a bed before stone fruit and the apple and pear harvest peak. The busiest hiring runs from the start of the season to the end of January. Turn up before Christmas and you can string together months of work.

Is Shepparton farm work eligible for the 88 days?

Yes. Shepparton and the Goulburn Valley sit in an eligible postcode. Picking, packing and pruning on a farm here counts toward your 88 days of specified work for a second-year visa, as long as it is on an eligible farm and you keep your payslips.

What months is stone fruit season in Shepparton?

Stone fruit season runs from about December to March. Apricots start in December, then peaches and nectarines through January and February. It overlaps with the apple, pear and cherry harvest, so summer is the busiest stretch.

Is there accommodation or working hostels in Shepparton?

Yes. Working hostels in Shepparton and nearby Mooroopna connect travellers with jobs and run transport to the orchards. There are also caravan parks, share houses and on-farm camping. Expect roughly $40 to $60 a week for shared or camping spots, more for a private room. Check what work the hostel places people into before you pay.

How do I avoid farm work scams in Shepparton?

Deal directly with farmers or named, reviewed employers. Never pay a fee to get a job. On piece rate you should earn at least 15 percent above the minimum hourly rate and get a piecework agreement before you start. Always get a payslip. No payslip and vague pay promises are red flags.