Market Farming

[Marcie Rosenzweig <fullcircle AT jps.net>]

The "industry standard" around here (N. Cal) for small market farms and
salad mix, cut herbs, etc,is also hydro-cooling but done differently.

I do agree that the post-harvest handling of any crop is the key to shelf
life, and I agree that the first hour off the field is critical.  I don't
agree with baby greens and 32°F.  IMHO, they're too delicate for that.

We use domestic well water, which is about 70°F, in a plastic muck bucket
that's cleaned with bleach water between uses.  Chlorine at the PPM of
domestic water systems is acceptible under CA organic standards.  We
submerge the picked greens in well water and let them sit for about 10
minutes.  You can actually feel the water warming up as the field heat
leaves the greens.  And we cut salad mix at first light.  The greens are
then spun dry.

We put about a pound and a half of greens into a nylon mesh laundry bag,
and spin it perpendicular to the ground until we no longer see water coming
out.  It's important to do this fast enough to remove the water, but slowly
enough not to bruise the greens.  Spinning further cools the greens by
evaporation, and removes the cooling water which, if left, encourages water
borne spoilage organisms. The laundry bag is washed daily in the washing
machine in hot water.

After the greens are spun, they are placed in large kitchen trash bags (be
sure you read the lable, some specifically state not for food storage)
until we get 5# in a bag,  then it goes into our restaurant fridge that's
set to maintain 40°F.  They stay there for 24 -36 hrs before the go to
market, restaurants, or packed for CSA.

Other farms around here may use different methods of spinning.  One farmer
I know has an old washing machine she puts on spin cycle.  Some use burlap
bags for spinning.  I don't like this because the can't be washed
repeatedly.  Many farms use industrial strength restaurant salad spinners.

Marcie A. Rosenzweig
Full Circle Organic Farm
Auburn, CA