It feels a little like the calm before the storm around the yard. We have been busy moving packing and washing lines for veg but we still have a lot to do.

The warmer weather brings with it some challenges for the year ahead with our cold chain being the highest priority area. We will be converting a shed into a cold store capable of backing two trailers into, this will be complemented by our existing cold stores.

A new area for us for the year coming will be the purchase of a refrigerated lorry for transporting parsnips and cut flowers around the country. To say I know nothing about lorries would be an understatement but we are getting close to having a deal done on one.

Hydrocooler

The last link in the cold chain that needs to be improved will be our hydrocooler. We have a hydrocooler at present but we’re really not that happy with it. The hydrocooler is essentially a very wide, long perforated conveyor that allows ice cold water to be passed down through veg to cool the core temperature down.

The whole chain has to work in tandem, trailers arrive in and are cooled while waiting to be washed out. During washing the produce is passed through a hydrocooler to bring the core temp down to 3 degrees before being placed back in the cold store in bins. From there the bins are packed out into trays or retail ready packaging and placed into the lorry fridge before embarking on their 1 degree journey to our customers. The whole process takes about four hours from start to finish.

Crop inputs

The nature of this business is all about timeliness. Having been in and out of the country a lot last season, as I was involved in a farming project abroad, I missed a few time slots for getting inputs on the crops. Last Friday I walked the crops and Friday evening we had the sprayer on the move with all the fires quenched before they became an issue.

As we lose more and more chemistry, the need for more integrated crop protection using weed brushers, hoe’s and pesticides is becoming greater. The only worry with such a time sensitive approach is it takes away the safety net of having a fall back. In the veg industry we are at a stage in most areas where there is no fall back option leading to sometimes dramatic yield and revenue losses.