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 …

Farm Building Plans

I sometimes receive requests for help designing barns, sheds and other structures. It is a bit out of my scope of practice, but there are loads of designs available from the Midwest Plan Service (at Iowa State University) including their free building plans section. There are also other compilations of plans available from the Canadian …

LED Lights – Status, Cost/Benefit and Pro’s and Cons

I have been receiving several inquiries recently on supplemental lighting for greenhouse production. The most common question is “Should I install LED lights to support growing?” I have found one report to be the most complete and current on this topic and wanted to share it here. Economic Analysis of Greenhouse Lighting: Light Emitting Diodes …

Hops Harvesting and Beyond

I presented an update on small-scale hops harvesters at the 2014 Northeast Hops Alliance (NEHA) Winter Meeting yesterday.  We also talked a bit about drying and pelletizing at small scale.  The presentation is available here. A summary of harvesters is provided in the table below. One of the really exciting things for me to see …

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 …

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