The AZS Rinse conveyor is a versatile machine as explained in Innovation in Small Scale Vegetable Washing Equipment which goes through its features and benefits. Now you’ve made the decision to purchase one, or already have one on your farm you don’t know where to start. Little paperwork comes with the machine so we’ve put …
Author Archives: Andy
Giving a Dairy Barn New Life at New Leaf Organics
A video version of this case study is available here and a printable PDF is available here. Jill Kopel owns and operates New Leaf Organics in Bristol, Vermont and has over 19 years of farming experience. After many years of growing crops and growing the business she made the decision to invest significantly in her …
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Project Planning for Postharvest Efficiency, Profitability & Food Safety (Free 8-Part Packshed Webinar)
The UVM Extension Produce Safety Team has developed a video series focused on postharvest upgrades for your farm. Whether your project is organizing a relatively simple outside wash station or building a full packshed from scratch, we share the principles and practice with examples to help you make the most of it. An outline of …
The Ag Engineering Podcast
Where we talk tools, tips and techniques to improve the sustainability of your farm Andy was awarded a 2019 Northeast SARE Grant to produce The Ag Engineering Podcast. In this podcast, we share tools, tips and techniques to improve sustainability on your farm. It was launched in December 2019. This podcast features short-format, easy to …
A Visit to Market Farm Implement
While in Pennsylvania for a conference, I made a side trip to Market Farm Implement in the south western part of the state. They are a popular manufacturer, importer and dealer for small scale vegetable crop machinery. Market Farm Implement have ads in publications like Vegetable Growers but their online presence is limited which poses …
Washing Machine Greens Spinners: Cleaning Tips
Washing machine greens spinners are often used for drying greens on small farms. They do require attention to cleaning and maintenance in order to keep them in sanitary working condition. This blog post highlights some tips to cleaning your greens spinner and provides links to six videos that focus on how to best clean these …
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Necessity is the Mother of Invention: Across The Fence TV Segment on DIY Handwashing Stations
Across The Fence recently featured one of the latest projects we’ve been working on: “Improving Handwashing Stations“. This project focuses on a hands-free, mobile handwashing station for use on farms, at farmers’ markets, or in other public spaces. This work was also highlighted in the Bennington Banner on June 9, 2020.
Improving Handwashing Stations
A downloadable PDF of this blog post and assembly guide is available here. A video overview of a DIY Handwashing Station can be seen here. Handwashing has been shown to be one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of transmission of human pathogens between people. But, sometimes we are inconveniently far from …
Spray Tables for Produce Farms
If we apply the principles of hygienic design to a spray table it becomes clear that we should think about the cleanability of the materials and the assembly while also thinking about how the materials will hold up over time with repeated use.
Risks Posed by Cats on Produce Farms
Authored by Phil Tocco, Michigan State University & Chris Callahan, University of Vermont View or download a PDF of this factsheet here. Many small farmers rely on cats to control rodents on farms. These “working animals” seem like a good way to limit crop loss and reduce other produce safety risks from rodents. Unfortunately, cats …