We are seeking input regarding a research and education project with the goal of consolidating postharvest information in a single set of resources. Our proposed project aims to consolidate existing knowledge, best practices, and new developments in postharvest equipment, infrastructure, and buildings into a web-based handbook, workshop curriculum / educational materials and recorded videos. Click …
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Construction Details for a Counter-top Forced Air Cooler
To learn more about forced air cooling visit go.uvm.edu/forcedaircooling To download the PDF version of this plan click here! Farms that need to cool smaller volumes of produce can also benefit from forced air cooling. Whether cooling stacked pallets, pallet bins or individual cartons, the same principals apply. A smaller pallet cooler was noted on …
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Construction Details for a Pallet Forced Air Cooler
To learn more about forced air cooling visit go.uvm.edu/forcedaircooling To download the PDF version of this guide click here! Framing: 2”x12” lumber to make a 43” wide x 74” tall x 11-1/4” deep plenum for suction air distribution. Plenum Panel: 3/8” CDX Plywood with an 11-1/4” circle cut out for the blower suction inlet. Position …
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Forced Air Cooling On The Farm
A downloadable/printable pdf of this article is available here. Introduction The preservation of quality in fresh market and storage crops on small and medium-sized farms in the Northeast depends on the rapid reduction of pulp temperature and maintenance of relatively low temperatures to slow metabolic respiration. There is strong foundational work showing that rapidly reducing …
Small Scale Forced Air Cooling Demo (Video)
Here is a video shot during some field experimentation last week working in a cooler.
Finding a Better Way: Engineering on the Farm (Podcast)
Check out episode 10 of this podcast with Chris Callahan, and Trevor Hardy from Brookdale Fruit Farm talking about engineering on the Farm! Full series available on iTunes. The Our Farms, Our Future podcast series brings together the sustainable agriculture community for thought-provoking conversations about the state of agriculture, how we got here, and where …
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A Better Way to Pick Strawberries
Tried and tested, the Picking Assistant by Crop Care works great for picking strawberries! Using both hands to “swim” through the plants helps you become efficient and thorough at picking. This machine is also great for weeding or planting other crops as well. More information about their new model can be found here: https://cropcareequipment.com/vegetable_equip/picking_assistant.phpI have experience …
UVM Ag Engineering Highlight Video
A collation of clips from farm’s, conferences, and workshops from the previous year! A lot of fun adventures, and education opportunities in agriculture.
Greens Spinners for Farm Use
Download the PDF Fact Sheet Here! Introduction An important factor in growing and selling high-quality salad greens is being able to efficiently wash, cool, and dry the product. The drying step is commonly done using centrifugal force in a spinner. The water is spun off of the greens through a filter basket or other porous …
Floor Design for Vegetable Wash, Pack and Storage Areas
Download the PDF Fact Sheet Here! Introduction It is easy to ignore the thing beneath our feet, but floors are an important part of produce wash and pack areas that deserve special attention. They can impact efficiency, ergonomics, employee health, worker fatigue, personnel safety, and produce safety. There are also a number of design features …
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