Come harvest time, one difference you’ll see on our fields is our use of what are called ‘walk behind’ harvesters. We choose to use these lighter weight units (see image to the left) because we believe they benefit to our crop and fields more than the traditional larger harvester (see image to the right). Some of those benefits would be:
1) Removes fewer leaves
2) Causes less plant breakage (stems & branches)
3) Causes less soil compression, which can break roots and affect soil erosion
4) Reduces the number of broken and wasted berries
5) Their multi-speed transmission allows adjust the speed we harvest at any point in a field to match the concentration of berries in that area
By using this type of harvester we know our plants are less damaged at the end of a harvest season, and so recover better for the following season. We also know our soils remain more aerated, which means they can absorb water and nutrients more efficiently. All of this means a more sustainable way of managing our fields and a higher quality crop year after year
To see one of these harvesters in action, follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBmlKr_CqZw
Or follow this link to see an aerial shot of one of our fields being harvest: https://youtu.be/Mqje7c3WrZU
