Post Harvest Handling
Post Harvest: Temperature and Humidity Needs
- Produce Storage Information
- Produce Respiration Rates
- Produce Cooling Chart
- Produce Packing guidelines
Production Manuals
Wholesale Success: A Farmer’s Guide to Selling, Post Harvest Handling, and Packing Produce Some sections of Wholesale Success are available online at MISA.
- Cover, Introduction, Table of Contents (PDF, 1.3 Mb)
- Section 1: Selling Into Wholesale Markets
- Section 2: Preharvest Preparation
- Section 3: Harvesting
- Section 4: Cooling and Curing (PDF, 2.4 Mb)
- Section 5: Cleaning and Drying (PDF, 2.4 Mb)
- Section 6: Sorting and Packing (PDF, 2.8 Mb)
- Section 7: Storage and Transportation
- Section 8: Packing Shed Design
- Section 9: Postharvest Sanitation (PDF, 172 kb)
- Section 10: Food Safety
- Section 11: Crop Profiles
Grading and Standards
- Quality / Standards and Regulations | Purdue University
Expanding winter harvest and sales for New England vegetable crops
- Handout Sample 1 Seeding Schedule
- Handout Sample 2 Timetable for Harvest and Storage
- Handout Sample 3 Harvest and Storage Chart
- Handout Sample 4 Winter GH Diseases
- Variety Trials for Overwintering Onions
- UNH Overwintering Onions
- Storage Trials Write-up
- Washing Trials Write-up
- Effect of Direct Seeding Date on Yield
- Postharvest for Carrots
- Variety and Storage
- Proceedings Carrots for Winter Sales
Post Harvest: Tool Design
- Cleaning Tools and Supplies for Produce Farms || UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture
- Pack and Cool: Portable Cooling | NC Extension Service
- How to Build a Handwashing Station For Under $20 || Michele Schermann, U of MN
- Knee controlled sink
- Greens Spinners Options University of Vermont Video
- AZS Conveyer Washer University of Vermont Video
- Forced Air Coolers: Field Trial Results | University of Vermont
- Spray Tables For Produce Farms | University of Vermont
- University of Vermont Postharvest Resources
Packaging Suppliers
- Globe Bag Co
- Innovative Packaging Solutions
- ProducePackaging
- Produce Packing Inc
- Rockford Package
- Uline
- PeakFresh: Ethylene and Humidity Management - Polyethylene Liners
Funding Sources
- Farm Storage Loan Program || USDA
- USDA Funding Opportunities
- Lakewinds Organic Field Fund: Midwest The goal of LOFF is to provide funding to farmers working on the development and sustainability of organics
- Next Stage Grant Program-Mill City Farmers Market: Midwest Next Stage Grant provides funding to local, regenerative farmers and other food producers who are improving sustainable farming and business practices or growing toward the “next stage” of their local food businesses.
- FSA Microloan Program: National The focus of Microloans is on the financing needs of small, beginning farmer, niche and non-traditional farm operations, such as truck farms, farms participating in direct marketing and sales such as farmers’ markets, CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture), restaurants and grocery stores, or those using hydroponic, aquaponic, organic and vertical growing methods.
- Minnesota Produce Safety Mini-Grant The Produce Safety Mini-Grant helps reimburse Minnesota produce farmers for expenses that improve on-farm food safety systems including water testing for generic E. coli and/or other on-farm food safety improvements.
- MN: AGRI Value-Added Grant Program The AGRI Value-Added Grant helps Minnesota processors add value to Minnesota agricultural products by investing in the purchase of equipment, production capacity, market diversification, and market access for value-added products. 25% cost share
- Beginning Farmer and Rancher Loan || USDA
Disaster Assistance
- Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) || USDA Farm Service Agency
- Whole Farm Revenue Protection || USDA Risk Management Agency
Food Safety
Complete Collection of Food Safety Templates for Record Keeping and Writing A Food Safety Plan || Atina Diffley
The templates in this collection are samples that you can adapt to meet the specifics of your operation. Templates are not provided for every Harmonized GAP criteria.
Post Harvest Handling & Facilities: Logs and SOPs
- Daily Food Safety Pre-Operational Checklist
- Post Harvest Assessment/Repair Log
- Packing and Facility Inspection Log
- Pre-Operation Inspection Sample SOP
- Cooler Temperature Log
- Pest Control Log
- Pest Monitoring - SOP
Post Harvest Vehicles and Equipment: Logs and SOPs
- F-8- Vehicles, Equipment, Tools and Utensils
- Cleaning Produce Transport Vehicles-SOP
- Transportation Vehicle Inspection and Corrective Action Log
- Transportation-Log-Truck
- Thermometer Calibration Log
- Thermometer Calibration SOP
Worker Food Safety Training
OU Trainers
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Worshops & Consulting
Visit Organic Farming Works LLC for Workshops and Coaching/Consulting with Atina and Martin Diffley.