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market-farming - [Market-farming] Re: truck or van, running coolers/freezers

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  • From: "Mary Whitney" <mary AT whitneysorchard.com>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Re: truck or van, running coolers/freezers
  • Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 13:50:18 -0700

"So, I have been interested to read that many growers are using
vans instead of trucks."
I use a van because it can haul more than a pick up truck (still have to use
a trailer sometimes!) I also can haul my rabbits to and from a show in in as
well as to the processing plant. Every farm is going to have it's own
reasons for using a van or pickup or whatever they do use. We do have a/c in
the back of the van. There are days we go to market and we have the a/c on
at 5am in the morning as it's already hot out. Our produce is stored in a
cold room during the hot months, loaded into the van in the morning before
market in cooler temps or directly if we are picking for a same day market.
Our pick ups on the farm are small trucks, though we don't always treat them
as such, and all have over 200,000 miles. Our market van is also used as a
crew van during grafting season, so our use for a van is year round and
varied.

For those wondering how to run a cooler during the day. I run a 7 cu foot
freezer in my van for the rabbit meat. We have no plug ins at our market (we
also cannot sell out of our vehicle, everything has to be unloaded). The
freezer runs off a battery bank of 4 marine batteries with a inverter that
then runs the freezer. The batteries are also wired in so that they will
charge as the van runs. This freezer has run from 7:30 in the morning until
5pm in the evening without any drain on the van battery. Our trip to market
is 2-1/2 hours 1 way. This kind of set up should be able to run any kind of
cooling system for a day if it is well insulated.

There is a company out there that does manufacture pick up cooler boxes and a
trailer model as well. I will see what I can find for the link as I don't
see if off hand.

Mary Whitney




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www.whitneysorchard.com
SweetBriar Rabbits - Fryers available
Growing the best Fruits and Vegetables, in and out of season

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