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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Harvesting the great unwashed

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  • From: "Paul Wiediger" <wiediger AT windstream.net>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Harvesting the great unwashed
  • Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2010 09:53:03 -0600

I would recommend cutting low and swishing the lettuce around in some water.
I also make sure to check carefully for aphids while doing it. It's easy to
rinse them off at the same time. And I think the lettuce stays crisper when
dunked in some water after harvesting. There is definitely a difference in
quality of product between lettuce dunked and swished around in the water
and ones that are just placed in waxed produce boxes and cooled.

Paul Wiediger
Au Naturel Farm
Kentucky

-----Original Message-----
From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Richard
Robinson
Sent: Thursday, December 02, 2010 9:15 AM
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [Market-farming] Harvesting the great unwashed

I have a nice crop of hoophouse looseleaf lettuce, and do not plan to wash
it before selling. I am wondering how you all would recommend harvesting to
minimize carrying dirt into the harvest bag. The options seem to be to:
--cut high enough to avoid the dirt all together (but then lose the bottom
of each leaf, and the base of the stalk)
--cut low and then swish any dirty cut end in a bucket before placing the
lettuce in its bag
--cut low, then recut to reduce the dirt carried into the bag
--pull the lettuce partially out of the soil before cutting

Any advice?

--
Richard Robinson
www.nasw.org/users/rrobinson/
Hopestill Farm
www.hopestill.com







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