Diversity on the Robinson Farm
September 5, 2007 at 10:38 am | In Eric C. Robinson Inc., Get to Know a Farmer, Sustainabiliy | No CommentsLast time I talked about some of the management practices Lori uses to improve soil and reduce risk to the environment. This time I’ll tell you about some real earth changing projects.
Lori’s family has worked to decrease the severity of their sloped land (yes, P.E.I. is not flat). They created terraces on many fields with berms and grassed waterways between fields to slow down and direct the flow of water. Terraces divide large fields into several smaller fields with less slope.
The family also created a large pond in conjunction with Ducks Unlimited. This pond and surrounding area is teaming with wildlife and in the spring and fall is temporary home to hundreds of ducks and geese.
To add to the diversity of activities on their farm the family has an active Forest Management plan. Over the years they have thinned young tree stands and harvested mature trees. Harvested areas have been replanted with new trees to maintain the ecological balance.
That’s part of the physical side of environmental management. Next I’ll talk about the chemical side and what Lori is doing to decrease or eliminate certain chemicals from her farm.
Scott
Quality - It’s not just a promise
August 30, 2007 at 2:26 pm | In Behind the Scenes, G.W. Visser & Sons | No CommentsLast time I showed you a picture of a couple guys looking at a high tech device called a Smart Spud. Behind them was a machine for grading potatoes that used a lot of steel where potatoes can easily get bruised. This time I’ll tell you about some new equipment that one of FoodTrust’s partners is using to hopefully eliminate much of the bruising that happens during grading.
William and Randy Visser (G.W. Visser and Sons) were one of FoodTrust’s first packing partners. They really understand quality. They also know the importance of continually striving to improve quality. When we approached them about partnering on purchasing some new equipment they jumped at the chance.
This new equipment from Grimme, a company in Belgium, is specially designed to minimize impacts to potatoes. The belts are made of rubber and anything that can come into contact with a potato is made to reduce the effect of impact. The equipment shown on the left allows sorting and grading of up to three products.
On the right is a tote box filler. The box, sitting beside the machine, is placed under a chute. The potatoes feed from the first machine onto this one. The chute lowers to reduce the distance a potato must drop into the box. It automatically rises as the box fills up.
As far as we can tell this equipment is the first of its kind in this region. Once it proves itself I’m sure other farms will start using similar equipment. But, it is just one example of how FoodTrust and its partners are on the forefront of technology.
I’ll try to get pictures or video of this equipment in action for a future update.
Scott
Eric C. Robinson Inc. (part 2)
August 24, 2007 at 10:24 am | In Eric C. Robinson Inc., Get to Know a Farmer | No Comments
Lori knows her farm very well. She knows which fields produce the best yield, which ones need to be watched carefully for pests and disease, and which ones create the greatest concern for soil conservation.
Some of the strategies Lori incorporates in her farm’s operations include conservation tillage, farming across the slope, strip cropping, and adding mulch to erosion prone land in the fall. Lori’s family has also planted over 15 kilometers of hedgerows between fields to reduce wind erosion and have extended buffer zones near waterways.
Next time I’ll tell you about some of the bigger projects on the farm.
Scott
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