In the late 1990s, Oregon cherry growers began planting pedestrian orchards, utilizing training systems developed in Europe to grow small trees that could be harvested without ladders. For growers, the incentive to plant pedestrian orchards included higher early yields, potentially higher yields at maturity, easier maintenance, better spray penetration, and fewer ladder accidents. But growers also realized that pickers were able to significantly increase their productivity in these orchards. One study showed an increase in picker productivity from 100 pounds of fruit per hour when harvested from a ladder to 171 pounds per hour when picked in a pedestrian orchard. […]