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  • From: Scott Breneman <sbreneman AT yourgoodwill.org>
  • To: "'market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] micro bean picker
  • Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:42:48 -0400

Commercial bean harvesters are a large and expensive machine. Seems like a
small-farm bean-stripping machine would be in high demand if someone could
put one together in their farm shop. (Beans and debris would be sorted by
hand or table later)


Scott Breneman
Farm Manager

Goodwilll at Homefields Farm
PO Box 38
150 Letort Rd
Millersville, PA 17551
www.yourgoodwill.org/farmprogram.htm

P: 717-871-3110

Check out our Farm Blog: www.goodwillathomefieldsfarm.blogspot.com

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-----Original Message-----
From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of
market-farming-request AT lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2009 10:21 AM
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Market-farming Digest, Vol 79, Issue 25

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Today's Topics:

1. Re: Bush Beans was Greenbeans in the Rain
(clearviewfarm AT bluefrog.com)
2. Re: Bush Beans was Greenbeans in the Rain (Allan Balliett)
3. Re: watermelon variety (Owsley lucy)
4. Re: watermelon variety (Bill Shoemaker)
5. Re: Bush Beans was Greenbeans in the Rain (Wiediger, Alison)
6. What do you use for food safe oil for garden tools? (Carla Shafer)
7. Re: Bush Beans was Greenbeans in the Rain (Andy Fellenz)
8. Re: watermelon variety (Road's End Farm)
9. Re: Bush Beans was Greenbeans in the Rain (Road's End Farm)
10. Holding produce for Market (jay sleichter)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:50:45 -0700
From: <clearviewfarm AT bluefrog.com>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Bush Beans was Greenbeans in the Rain
To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <20090812185045.BDFBCE3 AT resin17.mta.everyone.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Alison,

In what state is your farm? I wonder if we can pull off October beans here
in upstate NY.

Kurt Forman
Clearview Farm
Palmyra, NY 14522

--- wshoemak AT illinois.edu wrote:

From: Bill Shoemaker <wshoemak AT illinois.edu>
To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Bush Beans was Greenbeans in the Rain
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 2009 07:31:28 -0500 (CDT)

They sure make your market popular though. Its a hot product around here.

Bill



>We usually pick beans twice - once a week for two weeks. The first
>picking is usually small - just a few beans per plant - and really
>takes too long, but the beans are soooo nice. The second is at the
>peak and after that quality declines, it takes too long to pick, so we
>turn them under.
>
>If we were really on top of things, to have beans every week, we'd seed
>every two weeks. In reality, that rarely happens. But, I hate picking
>beans, other crops take less labor and are more profitable, so we don't
>sweat it. When we have beans, we sell the heck out of them, and when
>we don't, well, we just don't!
>
>Alison Wiediger, Au Naturel Farm
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
>[mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Allan
>Balliett
>Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 5:30 AM
>To: Market Farming
>Subject: [Market-farming] Bush Beans was Greenbeans in the Rain
>
>
>I know Ellen at Potomac Vegetable Farms here outside of DC has said
>that she has found it most effecient to harvest bush beans one time
>(maybe one week?) and to plant closer successions. I used to nurse a
>planting for a month and found it worthwhile. It seems to me, though,
>that recent plantings have been awesome for one week (the 2nd week of
>having beans) and then hardly worth picking through. I'm thinking right
>now of our current planting of Provider. Two successive pickings of
>beans by the handful proceeded and followed by a couple of beans a
>plant. Wondering how it works for others on this list.
>Thanks -Allan in WV
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Market-farming mailing list
>Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
>http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
>
William H Shoemaker, UI-NRES
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
St Charles Horticulture Research Center
535 Randall Road St Charles, IL 60174
630-584-7254; FAX-584-4610
_______________________________________________
Market-farming mailing list
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http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming





------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 2009 22:36:43 -0400
From: Allan Balliett <aballiett AT frontiernet.net>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Bush Beans was Greenbeans in the Rain
To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <p06230925c6a92c2c3561@[10.0.1.4]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

So how long do you figure it takes you to harvest a bushel?

In a good patch, my two main workers this season were taking about an hour to
pick a bushel together (which, of course, contributed to the
problem.) If there are beans on the plants, I can definitely pick that fast
by myself. I have yet to have ANY luck in attracting by-the-pound pickers,
which is bad as our pole beans will be coming in in a few days...Yes, the
picking is a killer for a 200+ share CSA!
-Allan in WV


------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 07:37:28 -0400
From: Owsley lucy <boulderbelt AT embarqmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] watermelon variety
To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <67657A41-00BC-44DB-8336-408D1BE09B44 AT embarqmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; delsp=yes;
format=flowed

We have done galia and charantais in unheated hoop house in zone 5.
but not water melon. Sugar baby is a good one-sweet red fleshed and early. I
do not believe there are any GMO melons commercially available so don't worry
about that. I don't know of any red fleshed small/fridge type watermelons
that are heirloom.


On Aug 12, 2009, at 11:42 AM, Lynn Wigglesworth wrote:

> Sugar Baby is always a great little watermelon (they will have to
> hand-pollinate). Are your friends also in zone 5? I'm interested in
> the economics of growing winter melons in zone 5...it must take a LOT
> of heat and light. I crunched the numbers and it didn't work for me.
> They might want to consider a higher-value 'gourmet' melon, like a
> Charantais.
> They are
> unusual (at least around here) and people love them. I grow melons in
> my zone 5 greenhouse in the summer. The first are just ripening. This
> cool summer they needed all the extra warmth the greenhouse could give
> them!
>
> Lynn Wigglesworth
> Tioga Co. PA zone 5
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Debbie Moore" <caverdjmoore AT hotmail.com>
> To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 10:36 AM
> Subject: [Market-farming] watermelon variety
>
>
>
> Hello - My friends have a large greenhouse and are getting ready for
> their fall/winter CSA. Does anybody have a favorite watermelon
> variety?
> It has to
> be small fruited so it can grow vertically and needs red/pink flesh. I
> personally prefer an heirloom but they are open to commercial
> varieties as long as they are not genetically modified. Any
> suggestions?
>
> DebM
> zone 5
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Windows Live?: Keep your life in sync.
> http://windowslive.com/explore?ocid=PID23384::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-
> US:NF_BR_sync:082009
> _______________________________________________
> Market-farming mailing list
> Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Market-farming mailing list
> Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
>



------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:59:10 -0500 (CDT)
From: Bill Shoemaker <wshoemak AT illinois.edu>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] watermelon variety
To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <20090813065910.BUV93057 AT expms6.cites.uiuc.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

Having done trials of watemelon varieties since the early 80's, I can tell
you that if there are any "personal-sized" heirloom watermelon varieties,
they must be rare. In the US we focused on big watermelons for so many years.
Wilhite Seed in Texas is a company that carries many old varieties, but most
are pretty big.

However, the Japanese started breeding small watermelons many years ago. They
really developed the style of watermelon we call "personal-sized". Back in
the 80's a did a trial of melons with a bunch of entries from Mikado Seeds.
They had one shaped like a football that averaged about 5 lb. But it tended
to crack very easily. I think they were still working out the obstacles to
developing this style of watermelon. They needed a thin rind to have a
substantial sweet-flesh zone. But that led to cracking. Obviously that issue
has been resolved. But my point is, these types are a relatively new
phenomenon. I don't think there are any trellis type varieties of watermelon
that could be called heirloom. But if you're not limited to "heirlooms",
there are a number of new varieties of these types on the market.

Bill



>
>We have done galia and charantais in unheated hoop house in zone 5.
>but not water melon. Sugar baby is a good one-sweet red fleshed and
>early. I do not believe there are any GMO melons commercially available
>so don't worry about that. I don't know of any red fleshed small/fridge
>type watermelons that are heirloom.
>
>
>On Aug 12, 2009, at 11:42 AM, Lynn Wigglesworth wrote:
>
>> Sugar Baby is always a great little watermelon (they will have to
>> hand-pollinate). Are your friends also in zone 5? I'm interested in
>> the economics of growing winter melons in zone 5...it must take a LOT
>> of heat and light. I crunched the numbers and it didn't work for me.
>> They might want to consider a higher-value 'gourmet' melon, like a
>> Charantais.
>> They are
>> unusual (at least around here) and people love them. I grow melons in
>> my zone 5 greenhouse in the summer. The first are just ripening.
>> This cool summer they needed all the extra warmth the greenhouse
>> could give them!
>>
>> Lynn Wigglesworth
>> Tioga Co. PA zone 5
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Debbie Moore" <caverdjmoore AT hotmail.com>
>> To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 10:36 AM
>> Subject: [Market-farming] watermelon variety
>>
>>
>>
>> Hello - My friends have a large greenhouse and are getting ready for
>> their fall/winter CSA. Does anybody have a favorite watermelon
>> variety?
>> It has to
>> be small fruited so it can grow vertically and needs red/pink flesh.
>> I personally prefer an heirloom but they are open to commercial
>> varieties as long as they are not genetically modified. Any
>> suggestions?
>>
>> DebM
>> zone 5
>>
>> _________________________________________________________________
>> Windows Live?: Keep your life in sync.
>> http://windowslive.com/explore?ocid=PID23384::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-
>> US:NF_BR_sync:082009
>> _______________________________________________
>> Market-farming mailing list
>> Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
>> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Market-farming mailing list
>> Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
>> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
>>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Market-farming mailing list
>Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
>http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
>
William H Shoemaker, UI-NRES
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
St Charles Horticulture Research Center
535 Randall Road St Charles, IL 60174
630-584-7254; FAX-584-4610

------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 07:16:05 -0500
From: "Wiediger, Alison" <alison.wiediger AT hart.kyschools.us>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Bush Beans was Greenbeans in the Rain
To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID:
<0FAEEBAD0B621B4DA67DF22F603660FF3DAC8F AT ED245X1.hart.ketsds.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


Kurt,

We are in south-central Kentucky. Zone 6b or 7 depending on where you look.
Normal first frost about October 15th, but in recent years, it has been more
like the first week in November.

Alison

-----Original Message-----
From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of
clearviewfarm AT bluefrog.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 8:51 PM
To: Market Farming
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Bush Beans was Greenbeans in the Rain

Alison,

In what state is your farm? I wonder if we can pull off October beans here
in upstate NY.

Kurt Forman
Clearview Farm
Palmyra, NY 14522




------------------------------

Message: 6
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:31:47 -0400
From: Carla Shafer <cs13 AT cornell.edu>
Subject: [Market-farming] What do you use for food safe oil for garden
tools?
To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID:
<67db3de20908130531i5d4eb454n1d910499353a1d2c AT mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

It's another rainy day in the Hudson Valley, and we thought we'd have the
farm interns clean, sharpen, and oil some of our tools, including harvesting
clippers and knives. We're wondering what kind of oil others use for tools
that will come in contact with soil and food?

We thought food grade mineral oil would make a good coating, but it's too
heavy an oil for things like secateurs. I use
Gibbs<http://www.gibbsbrand.net/>spray on tractor parts, etc. Gibbs is
fantastic for preventing rust. If you heat it with a torch after treating, it
apparently bonds and becomes very stable. The promotional propaganda and
Materials Data Sheet make it sound more safe and stable than anything else
I've run across, but am still not sure about how it might interact with the
environment.

Any best practices out there?

Carla Shafer
Assistant Farmer Manager

Phillies Bridge Farm Project http://www.philliesbridge.org
45 Phillies Bridge Road
New Paltz, NY 12561
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Message: 7
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 09:49:27 -0400
From: Andy Fellenz <fellenz AT fltg.net>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Bush Beans was Greenbeans in the Rain
To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <4A8419E7.9040902 AT fltg.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Kurt,

I grew beans under row cover at the end of the season last year and picked
them into the 2nd-3rd week of October.

Andy (in Phelps NY just down the road from Palmyra)

Wiediger, Alison wrote:
> Kurt,
>
> We are in south-central Kentucky. Zone 6b or 7 depending on where you
> look. Normal first frost about October 15th, but in recent years, it
> has been more like the first week in November.
>
> Alison
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
> [mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of
> clearviewfarm AT bluefrog.com
> Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 8:51 PM
> To: Market Farming
> Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Bush Beans was Greenbeans in the Rain
>
> Alison,
>
> In what state is your farm? I wonder if we can pull off October beans
> here in upstate NY.
>
> Kurt Forman
> Clearview Farm
> Palmyra, NY 14522
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Market-farming mailing list
> Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
>
>
>


------------------------------

Message: 8
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:02:56 -0400
From: Road's End Farm <organic87 AT frontiernet.net>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] watermelon variety
To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <98fce1960533857d03f559b809e790ed AT frontiernet.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


On Aug 13, 2009, at 7:37 AM, Owsley lucy wrote:

> I don't know of any red fleshed small/fridge type watermelons that
> are heirloom.

On Aug 13, 2009, at 7:59 AM, Bill Shoemaker wrote:

> Having done trials of watemelon varieties since the early 80's, I can
> tell you that if there are any "personal-sized" heirloom watermelon
> varieties, they must be rare.

Seed Savers Exchange lists (in the regular catalogue, not just the
exchange) Small Shining Light; which I haven't tried, but it sounds good. And
I do like Blacktail Mountain and Fisher's Far North, though I don't know if
either of them qualifies as an heirloom; Blacktail Mountain was bred by Glen
Drowns and Far North by the Fisher family seed company.

But those do all indeed qualify as "rare"; though Seed Savers is listing both
Blacktail Mountain and Small Shining Light in quantities up to 2500 seed.
Even Fisher's doesn't list Far North this year, they may not have had enough
crop to sell seed.

I have no idea how any of these would do in a greenhouse.


-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly Fresh-market organic produce, small
scale
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Message: 9
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:07:53 -0400
From: Road's End Farm <organic87 AT frontiernet.net>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Bush Beans was Greenbeans in the Rain
To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <ef5fd11a7eef0822beff52d4dd0f6d4b AT frontiernet.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


On Aug 13, 2009, at 9:49 AM, Andy Fellenz wrote:

> I grew beans under row cover at the end of the season last year and
> picked them into the 2nd-3rd week of October.
>
> Andy (in Phelps NY just down the road from Palmyra)
>>
>> [ . . . ] I wonder if we can pull off October beans here in upstate
>> NY.
>>
>> Kurt Forman
>> Clearview Farm
>> Palmyra, NY 14522

I find production and quality drops off drastically as the days get really
short, but early to mid October beans are usually fine.


-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale
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Message: 10
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 07:20:50 -0700 (PDT)
From: jay sleichter <jaysleichter AT yahoo.com>
Subject: [Market-farming] Holding produce for Market
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Message-ID: <16807.22283.qm AT web56505.mail.re3.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Hello,

I have a strange question that I am in the need of some help.? All summer
long, I pick my produce, store in cool basement and fridges or I pick just
hours before the market.? However, I am starting school next week and I will
be unable to go home and load prior to the market.? I am going to have to
load my stuff at 6:30 in the morning and get to school park in the the
heaviest shaded area, teach all day, leave at 3:00 and get to my market by
3:45 and sell by 4:00.

I don't have tons of stuff like I did this summer, but I can still make a
little money and sell what produce I have and all the jellies that I make.

My question is this what will be the best way to store this stuff in my truck
during the day.

Yesterday was my first time trying this.? I was in a hometown for meetings
and we had an hour lunch break, so I ran home and loaded up for the market.
Here is what I did and the results.

Tomatoes I put in my tubs with lids, stacked in truck and covered with heavy
blanket.? Result: No problem, everything was still cool and looked great.

Cucumbers:? Put in plastic bags, Took out of fridge, put in big coolers with
frozen two liter bottles.
Result: Everything was fine, except for the cucumbers that touched the
bottle, they froze and had a bad spot.? I put a small towel down first, but
the bottles moved, I can fix that.

Beans: They were picked Tuesday night, bagged up in one pound bags and put in
fridge.? Out of the fridge and into coolers, same as the cucumbers.?
Result: Some rust spots and they didn't look good.? As the market was going,
I was dumping out bags and going through them to get out any beans with rust
spots.? Should I keep them all together in one big bag or in one pound bags??
I thought they were all dry before I put them in the fridge, but I guess I
was wrong.? Was my problems because of the individual bags, wet beans or
something else?? I ended up not selling them all and brought them home.? I
was disappointed.? But, I did go through them all and we processed them.?
There weren't as many bad ones as it looked like before..

Peppers: Bagged, in the fridge and put into coolers.
Result: They were fine.

Okra: Bagged, in the fridge and put into coolers
Result: They were fine.

Now for things I am going to have later this fall.

Beets, Radishes, Lettuce, Spinach, Broccoli, Cauliflower

I will pull and wash off the beets and radishes on Tuesday night. I will
bundle and sit in tubs with some cold water in the bottom.? Will this work if
I change the water the next morning before I load them up?? This is usually
what I do when I am selling the same day I pick, it is usually only 2-3
hours, not 20-24 hours.

Lettuce and spinach:?

I plan on picking the night before, wash and dry, then bag.? I am also
planning on putting into pound or 1/2 pound bags.? Will this work?? or will I
have problems?? Once again, I usually only pick a few hours before I sell
these, not 20-24 hours. What will be the best way to store these all day long?

Broccoli and Cauliflower I am not worried about. These guys are pretty tough
and I am not sure how much I will have.

Any suggestions on the best way to do this?

Thanks,

Jay




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