MAX FACTS growing tips, news and trivia
More Precise Tomato Peeling
Peeled tomatoes are a time-saving ingredient used in sauces, homemade soups
and classic casseroles. In experiments with more than 6,000 field-ripened, Romastyle tomatoes, USDA scientist Zhongli Pan and his colleagues demonstrated that
using infrared heating to simplify the removal of the tomatoes’ tight-fitting peels may offer
advantages over other technologies. Infrared-based peeling is mostly waterless, which is a
benefit for canneries in sometimes-drought-stricken California, as the state produces the majority
of the nation’s processing tomatoes. Not only could the technique save on the costs of
bringing water to canneries, but it might also reduce the expenses for recycling or properly
disposing of water. Disposal is of particular concern to processors who use sodium
hydroxide or potassium hydroxide to peel tomatoes. The infrared process may
also help reduce the wasteful over-peeling of tomatoes that can occur when
too many layers of tomato are inadvertently removed with the peel.
(Source: ars.usda.gov)
Reducing Heating Costs
An Extension Bulletin from Michigan State University and
Rutgers says 65-85% of the total energy that greenhouse
operations consume goes toward heating. Fortunately,
there’s plenty growers can do to save on these costs,
such as reducing air leaks by patching holes in
coverings, replacing cracked glass panels, adding
weather stripping and keeping doors closed.
Proper heating equipment maintenance also
goes a long way. Make sure fuel tanks are enclosed
or protected so fuel doesn’t get too cold. Remove soot
from inside the boiler or furnace—a soot deposit as small as an
eighth of an inch can increase fuel usage by 10%. Replace oil filters regularly. Clean and adjust
controls, and check all moving parts. Keep bearings, motors and pumps well-oiled. Clean
fans and blowers, and check belts for wear and correct tension. Then, check blower timing. In
forced-air systems, blowers should operate until the furnace is cooled to 100-120°F, or operated
continuously. Finally, insulate pipes in unheated areas and underground to reduce heat loss.
(Source: flor.hrt.msu.edu)
Obsessed With Eating Organic
It used to be that a diet high in organic leafy greens would be considered typical only for a select few. But it turns out that eating organic food is a growing
priority nationwide. As reported in a 2014 Gallup study, 45% of Americans
actively seek out organic foods. More recently, a new study commissioned by
Campbell Soup Company and Sperling’s Best Places analyzed the most organiceating cities in America. These are the 10 most organic cities in America:
1. Portland, 2. San Francisco, 3. Providence, 4. Sacramento, 5. Minneapolis,
6. Boston, 7. Seattle, 8. Austin, 9. Philadelphia, 10. Washington. The study
analyzed more than 6,500 online survey results as well as Yelp search results
for “organic grocery stores” and “organic restaurants.” Researchers also
considered a city’s amount of local farmers’ markets and community-supported
agriculture groups as well as the buying habits of consumers at grocery stores
across the country.
(Source: huffingtonpost.com)
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Maximum Yield USA | April 2015