This is a great video overview from the Cornell Cooperative Extension Small Farms Project with helpful guidance on wash and pack station layout. More on the Cornell Small Farm Project can be found here. This video was part of a NE-SARE funded project.
Some highlights:
- Cover – prepare for all conditions; rain, wind, cold, heat
- Lighting – ensure plenty either naturally or artificially
- One Directional Flow – dirty on one end and clean on the other, work zones, specialty zones
- Avoid extra and repeated steps
- Bench/Counter Height – 30″ is comfortable for an average person
- Some benches lower than the working surface for packing bins (keep the top of the bin level with the counter)
- Containment – back splash and fencing to prevent loss of produce to the ground
- Water sources – consider overhead routing and multiple taps
- Water drains – where will the water go?
- Float valve for wash tanks
- Dedicated area for record keeping, dedication to record keeping
- Marked containers, color coding bins (dirty vs. clean, crop specific)
- Creature comforts such as floor mats, etc.
- Logistics – pre vs. post market
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