Two weeks ago Firstfruits Farm got a chiller, a walk-in-cooler just in time for their peak harvesting season.
“It allows us to provide produce to more people over more periods of time by bringing the temperature of the produce down and avoiding the uses that happen when we leave it out of the sun,” said Ben Horton, harvest captain of Firstfruits Farm SLO.
They harvest nearly 1,000 pounds a week to donate.
They work with six distribution partners throughout the county to provide fresh produce that is organically grown.
Firstfruits Farm is a volunteer-run farm started in 2011 to address food insecurity in SLO County.
Kathy Keil, a farm liaison, says that heat damages picked produce so this new chiller will help keep their produce cooler faster.
“We can give away really good produce instead of leftovers which is usually what is distributed," said Keil.
This year the new addition will help them harvest even more.
“It makes us feel good as we head into the hottest time of our year so that we can keep the produce in good shape,” said Keil.
If you want to volunteer or donate at the Firstfruit Farm, click here.
