Farmer’s Favorites: Shipping Containers and Their Use on Vegetable Farms

Farming requires lots of space. Space to grow vegetables, conditioned space to store harvested produce, and a secure space to house tools out of the weather. Barns and tool sheds can be expensive, and building takes time. If you’re farming on rented land, it’s even harder to justify the investment in a permanent building. Shipping …

Expanding Infrastructure and Maximizing its Potential at Jericho Settlers Farm

Mark Fasching and Christa Alexander run Jericho Settlers Farm where they grow “good food year round” in Jericho, Vermont. Like many, they started out with a garden and roadside stand and continually expanded to growing over 30 acres of vegetables with 18 greenhouses. As their business expanded over the years, so did their infrastructure needs.  …

Top 5: Working with Contractors on a Postharvest Project

Key Takeaways Introduction Construction projects are both exciting and daunting. There’s great joy in dreaming about a new space or a renovated work area, but there can be a long windy path full of dread and stress between what you have now and what you hope to have in the future. Working with a contractor …

Managing Humidity and Condensation in Coolers

Many winter storage crops love high humidity and low temperatures. Others like low humidity and warmer temperatures. It can be a real challenge to achieve the right balance. As we make air cooler, it holds less water vapor so the difference between high humidity and condensation (rain) becomes less and less. So, it is not …

Easy Breezy Three Season Packshed at Stout Oak Farm 

Kate Donald began farming at Stout Oak Farm in Brentwood, NH in 2012. As the farm grew she quickly realized they could only handle one, or maybe two infrastructure projects at a time. Much of these improvements went into production practices, and greenhouses that clearly penciled out to be wise investments in the farm. Now, …

The Next Chapter: Renovating a Barn to Sustain Indian Line Farm 

Elizabeth Keen and her husband Al have been farming at Indian Line Farm in Great Barrington, MA for over 25 years. After taking a sabbatical in 2016, they had the realization that after 10-15 years “just running the farm” it was time that some things needed to change to make the farm more sustainable in …

Patient Pursuit of Packshed Happiness at Ananda Gardens

Patrick Sullivan and Melisa Oliva have been farming for 5 years at Ananda Gardens, a CSA Farm in Middlesex, Vermont. They have been working to grow their farm and improve their wash-pack area as they renovated the 1950s dairy barn that stood on the property. They have 150 CSA members between the fall and spring …

Preventing Freezing in Produce Coolers

Occasionally, during longer cold snaps, we receive a lot of questions about storage crops freezing in coolers. This post summarizes some ideas for preventing freezing. Summary Seal up the Cooler Box The main culprit in freezing is most likely infiltration of cold, outside air into the cooler.  If you’re seeing freezing in one area, there …

Warm Rooms for Storage Crops & Freeze Protection for Coolers

Some crops like winter squash and sweet potatoes are ideally kept in “warm” rooms for long-term storage. It is also helpful to have some freeze protection even in cold storage rooms during the winter months when outside temperatures drop below the storage temperature. The information below should help accomplish both of these needs simply and …

Sharpening the Edges: Wash/Pack Efficiencies in a New Farm Building at Small Axe Farm

A video version of this case study is available here and a printable PDF is available here. Evan Perkins & Heidi Choate own and operate Small Axe Farm in Barnet, Vermont. Together, they have been farming mixed vegetables for over 20 years and have been running Small Axe Farm since 2008.  About Small Axe Farm …

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