Spring Cleaning – Farm Cooler Checklist

Whether your winter storage rooms are getting bare or you are making the transition from sweet corn to potatoes, what better time to do a good cleaning and even sanitizing than now? Download this Guide & Checklist as a PDF Housekeeping Start by emptying the room and removing all visible debris with sweeping or vacuuming. …

Rats (and other rodents)

Download the PDF version of this page here! A related webinar recording on this topic is available on the National Farmers Union YouTube channel. Key Take-aways Reduce Attraction – Minimize available food and water near growing and storage areas (cull piles, standing water in a bucket, etc.) Obviously, you’re in the food production business, so …

Thermostats for Agriculture

I am often asked by growers and processors to recommend a thermostat for a greenhouse, cooler, or postharvest process use.  There are many to choose from and their specifications can be confusing. It is important to remember just what a thermostat does. It is essentially no different from the light switch on the wall with …

Finish Surfaces for Produce and Food Areas

Download an updated PDF version of this information here! Smooth and cleanable surfaces are an important aspect of areas where produce is washed, packed, stored and processed.  Many farms are investing in renovations and expansions of these areas and are seeking materials to meet this “finish surface” need regardless of specific regulation.  Meanwhile, food processing …

Final Report – Increasing Supply and Quality of Local Storage Vegetables

We recently completed a project aimed at improving the ability of Vermont vegetable farms to store crops such as beets, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, onions, squash and sweet potatoes, all of which have unmet demand in late winter when local supplies run out. The physiology of these crops allows them to be stored for many months …

Simple DIY Outside Air Exchange

In colder climates winter storage crops have been stored in passive root cellars for centuries, striking the balance between outside conditions and storage conditions. Although modern refrigeration systems are generally used for large scale, longer-term storage of these crops some enterprises seek lower cost and high energy efficiency options. Outside air exchange systems use an …

Food Storage Workshops

UVM Extension with support from the USDA’s Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program will offer five one-day workshops on crop storage throughout Vermont this fall. Workshops will focus on long-term storage of crops for sale through the winter and into early spring, but will be relevant to many agricultural and food storage needs. Topics …

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