Upper Midwest CRAFT Field Day: Post-Harvest & Winter Storage

Date/Time
Wednesday, August 21
10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Location
Green Earth Harvest

Green Earth Harvest, a program of The Conservation Foundation, is a Certified Organic, mixed vegetable operation that predominantly markets using the CSA model.

​Under the new name of Green Earth Harvest, it seems fitting to demonstrate the process of post-harvest handling given the story doesn’t end with yield from the field. Harvest begins the journey from farm to table, and it’s a race to deter the effects of decomposition despite what the weather brings. Our sheltered open-air wash/pack features stations for hydro cooling, a root washer, and field tote maintenance and storage. The setup flows into our twin CoolBot controlled coolers (with doors retrofitted to house palletized produce), housed within the centrally located 1850s barn. The barn also houses three washer/”salad spinners,” flexible weigh station, and our main distribution location.

​After 16 seasons, Green Earth Harvest is lengthening our growing season from a 20 week Main Season with two four-week extension add-ons in the Spring and Fall to include a 5 pickup Winter share spanning from December to April. In this section we’ll discuss winter storage of roots in addition to greens, and the existing and planned infrastructure necessary to venture into the winter. Winter harvest inverses the traditional summer post-harvest handling relationship of keeping things cool to the struggle of keeping things warm. In addition to heating, planned obstacles include wash/pack, supplemental lighting, airflow, different storage temperatures for different crops, and water. This falls into the realm of scaling up appropriately planned projects.

For more information, click here.

There will be a potluck lunch in the middle of the day. Please bring a dish to pass. FREE to Upper Midwest CRAFT members. Members must RSVP by August 14th by emailing AJ Boucek at grow@learngrowconnect.org. $20 for non-members who must register at the link above. Not a member, but interested in joining? Click here.

Funding provided through a grant from the USDA Risk Management Agency.