Category: Washing and Packing
-
Simple Ergonomics and Lean Thinking at Chewonki Farm
I recently visited Chewonki, a school, camp, and farm in Wisscasset, ME that had a recent visit from an ergonomics consultant at their beautiful new pack shed. Some insurance companies offer these visits for free as an injury (and claim) prevention measure. Several things that struck me: They were experimenting with different heights for wash…
-
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…
-
Post Harvest Handling & Storage for Small Farms
This presentation was given by Chris Callahan from at the Great Lakes Expo in Grand Rapids Michigan in December 2017. He discusses the differences between fruit and vegetable storage needs, finish surfaces for wash/pack areas or coolers as well as temperature and humidity controls. A frequently asked question we get is about vapor barrier…
-
The AZS Rinse Conveyor at Picadilly Farm
Picadilly Farm is owned and operated by Jenny and Bruce Wooster since 2006. Their farm is located in the South East Corner of New Hampshire in Winchester and has about 30 acres in production. They provide fresh produce to over 1,000 families through CSA shares spread across New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts. Bruce reached out…
-
Innovation in Small Scale Vegetable Washing Equipment
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…
-
The AZS Rinse Conveyor at Native Son Farm
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…
-
The AZS Rinse Conveyor at Sassafras Creek Farm
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.
-
NOFA-NY Winter Greens Workshop – Postharvest, Wash and Pack, Produce Safety
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…
-
Rats (and other rodents)
Download the PDF version of this page here! A related webinar recording on this topic is available on the National Farmers Union YouTube channel. Key Take-aways Reduce Attraction – Minimize available food and water near growing and storage areas (cull piles, standing water in a bucket, etc.) Obviously, you’re in the food production business, so…