>  RH> The trees are too tall
>  
> You can't get all of them but with a stepladder and a sturdy stick
> or pole  you should be able to reach and knock off a good number of
> them. If you're not up to the task yourself find some sturdy young
> lad and offer him the standard sharecropper's ratio. He gets 2/3 for
> his labour and you get 1/3 as the property owner.
> 
> In the fall, the time to knock the nuts down is when the hulls begin
> to split. Remove the hulls as soon as you can. An easy method for a
> smallish batch is to crack them between two boards. Then wash the
> nuts in a bucket of water to remove any clinging fibers. Discard any
> nuts that float.  
> 
I'd definitely have to contract out that operation.  Ladders of any sort
and I do NOT mix.  Not one bit.  Right now even getting down steps can be a
problem.