There really is no excuse for any able-bodied male or female to be unemployed in Hawke's Bay at the moment.
Our apple trees are laden with a bumper crop — all that's missing are pickers.
Yes it might be a hassle to go off the unemployment benefit forjust a few months and then have to reapply. I'm not sure how that works but as Hawke's Bay Seasonal Labour Group chairman Gary Jones says it could well lead to a full-time job in the industry.
Imagine picking an apple that's going to end up in the hands of someone on the other side of the world. That's pretty special.
Stay-at-home parents could also make the most of this opportunity. Get a group together, pick someone very trustworthy to look after the children, go picking — extra money to spend how you wish with the child-carer getting a cut from everyone.
Here's an opportunity for lots of people in our community — make the most of it.