The large boxes hold 96 ounces of berries, and the fastest pickers fill five boxes an hour, earning $22.50 an hour before taxes.
I seriously doubt this. That would make the berries about almost $4/lb on labor alone. I get them in the store for about $3/lb. No farmer is taking that kind of loss.
Math check!
labor cost : $22.50 / [ (96 oz/box) x (1lb/16oz) x 5box) ]
labor cost : $22.50 / [ (96 oz/box) x (1lb/16oz) x 5box) ]
labor cost : $22.50 / 30lb
labor cost : $0.75/lb
That assumes the article is discussing weight ounces and not volume ounces. I don't know the density of blackberries.
Thirty pounds of blackberries an hour is some amazingly fast picking.
You may be on to something...as this photo is 30 pounds of blackberries and to gather this amount in an hour would require someone to pick 1/2 pound per minute non-stop and while possible, it would be difficult for many to maintain that pace all day:
THIRTY POUNDS OF FRESHLY PICKED BLACKBERRIES