Our Mission: To conduct research, education and outreach dedicated to enhancing our food systems with a focus on infrastructure, technology, and equipment that meet the needs of producers and processors.
Our Work Areas
Post Harvest
Handling of crops after harvest including washing, packing, curing, drying, storage, and produce safety.
View Post Harvest Resources
Protected Culture
Growing in areas protected from the environment such as high tunnels, greenhouses, and indoor growing.
View Protected Culture Resources
Sustainable Agriculture
Farm-based energy sources and practices supporting agriculture for today and tomorrow.
View Sustainable Agriculture Resources
Find a Resource
Tools and Information
Calculators & Tools
- Bean Counter – A Simple Counting App
- Crop Storage Planning Tool in Excel
- Heating and Cooling Load Calculator for Produce Coolers and Warm Rooms
- High Tunnel and Greenhouse Heating and Cooling Calculator
- Hops Moisture Calculator
- Pump and Pipe Pressure Excel Calculator
- PsychroCalc Excel Add-in
- Sanitizer Dose Calculator
- Wall Thermal Calculator
Other Projects
Our team is Chris Callahan and Andy Chamberlin. Our common motivations are problem solving in agriculture, the community of people who grow and make food, the environment, dogs, and coffee.
The SCRUB Project is a multi-state team creating and sharing educational resources to improve produce safety and efficiency on your farm.
A behind the scenes podcast where we visit with farmers and learn what it takes to be a sustainable produce grower across people, profits and our planet.
Recent Posts
- A Fork in the Road: Outgrowing the Packshed at Crossroad Farm
Philip Mason, owner of Crossroad Farm in Thetford, VT, has been working on this farm for over 10 years, but is not held back by the way things have always been done. He has an open mind and is always looking for ways to improve and take the business to the next level. When he… Read more: A Fork in the Road: Outgrowing the Packshed at Crossroad Farm - Metal Building in a Week: Scaling up at McDonald Farmstand
Jacob Mills started vegetable farming in 2017 and, after a few years of building the business, faced the reality that washing and packing out of the end of a greenhouse wasn’t going to help him meet the goal of working full-time on the farm. He was coming to a crossroads realizing that if this was… Read more: Metal Building in a Week: Scaling up at McDonald Farmstand - Beating Beetles Better: Mechanically Controlling Colorado Potato Beetle
Controlling Colorado Potato Beetle (CPB) organically can be challenging as the bugs have developed resistance to the many pesticide options available on the market. Lack of control has persuaded some farms to stop growing potatoes altogether. This bug has been a challenge for centuries. As seen in the Prince Edward Island (PEI) historical museum, this… Read more: Beating Beetles Better: Mechanically Controlling Colorado Potato Beetle - A Guide to Preparing High Tunnels for Extreme Weather
Compiled from VVBGA farmer input by Becky Maden, Chris Callahan, Vern Grubinger, and Andy Chamberlin. Introduction High tunnels and greenhouses provide protection for crops, extend the growing season, and improve yield and quality. However, climate change brings both a higher frequency and increased intensity of extreme weather events. It is important to think about how… Read more: A Guide to Preparing High Tunnels for Extreme Weather
…View more posts
Subscribe
Enter your email below to be the first to know about new posts on our blog!