What’s new in Ag tech? Well, one thing that we’ve recently discovered is a rinse conveyor. Specifically designed for the small-scale farm who wants to graduate from hand washing to something a little more automated that can really crank up the pounds of washed vegetables for market. This machine is made by AZS, an equipment manufacturing …
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Native Son farm is a small diversified vegetable farm in Tupelo Mississippi, who had been washing vegetables by hand and started looking at automated wash lines. With zero experience on automated washing, he began first researching the common barrel washer, reading reviews, and watching videos online. Will Reed reached out to Deerfield Supply out Kentucky …
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I had the opportunity to see an innovative piece of equipment designed for washing vegetables, and I think it might be a look into the future of improved food safety on many small-scale vegetable farms.
Chris partnered with Robert Hadad (Cornell), Judd Reid (Cornell), Paul and Sandy Arnold (Pleasant Valley Farm, Argyle, NY) to deliver a workshop hosted by NOFA-NY at the Winter Conference in Saratoga Springs, NY on January 18, 2018. Slides: Winter GreensWash/Pack Shed Efficiency & Food Safety Considerations. (PDF) Handouts: The “Ideal” Wash and Pack Facility Layout …
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Whether your winter storage rooms are getting bare or you are making the transition from sweet corn to potatoes, what better time to do a good cleaning and even sanitizing than now? Download this Guide & Checklist as a PDF Housekeeping Start by emptying the room and removing all visible debris with sweeping or vacuuming. …
I have received many inquiries about how to improve ventilation of high tunnels from growers with tunnels that have only roll-up sides. The issues they are facing tend to be either high temp, high humidity or both, leading to plant stress or disease. These situations tend to be in less than ideal sites for ventilation …
“Will the 007 be enough?” is a common question in early spring as greenhouses around the region fire up and we do our best to keep seed trays and their cargo warm on the still-cool nights. My mind instantly goes to “which movie?” And then I crash back to earth and realize this is a …
I am often asked by growers and processors to recommend a thermostat for a greenhouse, cooler, or postharvest process use. There are many to choose from and their specifications can be confusing. It is important to remember just what a thermostat does. It is essentially no different from the light switch on the wall with …
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 …
