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Subject: Market Farming

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  • From: "Paul A. Bock" <bockpa AT plesh.com>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [Market-farming] RE: Market vehicles
  • Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 13:23:35 -0400

I haven't built a refrigerated box yet, but it is in the plans. One of my
other hobbies is electronics and I found some cool sensors that measure
humidity and temperature very accurately. They are made by a company called
sensirion www.sensirion.com and are marketed in the US by Onset computer
www.onsetcomputer.com. Onset makes a bunch of environmental datalogging
devices that they sell as "HOBO dataloggers". Anyway, I have another
project where I am using these sensors to monitor air conditions in a
firewood dryer. I am hooking them up to what is called a "BASIC stamp".
This thing is basically a very-easy-to-program microcontroller made by
Parallax, www.parallax.com. I have the "stamp" hooked up some display
drivers to show what the sensors are reading. Later the readings will be
used to control the heating coils, air circulators, and, exhaust vents of
the firewood dryer. But a very similar setup could control the cooling, air
circulation, and dehumidification, or humidification of the air in the
cooler. I am working on using the same sensors to control the temperature
and humidity in a mushroom grow room. Proper mushroom fruiting is very
dependant on temperature, light intensity, and relative humidity of the air.
And then another project to control the temperature and humidity in a
proofing chamber for bread dough. Anyways, this might be a cheap and easy
way to measure the temperature and humidity with great accuracy in the
storage container. These thing are so responsive that you can see
significant changes in temp and RH even if you just breathe on them or cup
them in your hands.

I don't know how you are going about the cooling, but you might consider
using thermoelectric panels to pull out the heat. I beat there is quite a
lot of research developed around cold storage of fruits and vegetables.
Especially when it comes to temperature and humidity levels.

Paul Bock
Mechanical Engineer

Plesh Industries, Inc.
ISO 9001 Certified

Custom manufacturer of chain, wheel assemblies, and conveyor systems for
heavy industry.
Solutions for high temperature and abrasive environments.

One River Rock Drive
Buffalo, NY 14207
tel (716) 873-4916 x248
fax (716) 876-8370
bockpa AT plesh.com
www.plesh.com


-----Original Message-----
From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org]On Behalf Of John
Hendrickson
Sent: Friday, September 12, 2003 1:00 PM
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [Market-farming] RE: Market vehicles


What a coincidence that there is discussion about market/delivery vehicles
right now. I was recently contacted by a professor in the engineering
department here on the University of Wisconsin campus and he was looking
for design projects for a freshman level class. I suggested they design an
insulated box that would fit into a truck to keep produce cooler during
delivery routes and at farmers' markets. Low and behold, he took me up on
the suggestion and 14 students will be designing and testing something this
semester. So, I have been interested to read that many growers are using
vans instead of trucks. Vans have the obvious benefit of air conditioning
(when installed) but this doesn't help when the vehicle is parked at a
farmers' market. My perception is that pick-up trucks are still the most
commonly used vehicle so that is where I directed the students to focus
their project. Am I wrong? Should they focus on making something for vans?

Have any of you built insulated boxes for your trucks and would you mind if
the students in the class contacted you to learn more about your
design? Any design suggestions and ideas are welcome...I will pass them on
to the students. Thanks.

When the project is done, I will post the results (which should include
building specifications, costs, etc.).

-John

John Hendrickson
Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems
University of Wisconsin-Madison
mail: 1450 Linden Drive
street: 1535 Observatory Drive
Madison, WI 53706
608-265-3704
www.wisc.edu/cias


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