Reduce Postharvest Loss While Saving Up to $2,232

You can build an affordable walk-in cooler powered by a CoolBot and a standard air conditioning unit. Building a CoolBot-driven cooler will save you money in upfront costs, monthly electricity bills, and expensive technician visits compared to conventional systems. From apples to zucchinis, farmers around the world have trusted the CoolBot with their walk-in cooling needs. A CoolBot-driven system can be used to store inventory at refrigerated temperatures in any climate. Whether it’s a short time in the cooler from harvest to a CSA pickup, or a longer storage time to find the best markets for your high value crops, adding a walk-in cooler to your farm keeps your produce fresh and your business strong.

When storing inventory, specific crops have ideal temperature ranges. For farmers growing multiple crop varieties, we generally recommend keeping your cooler 38°F – 40℉ (3.3°C – 4.4℃). Using this temperature range ensures that produce as diverse as cold-loving lettuce and warmer squash can be stored effectively.

What you do with your vegetables and fruit after harvest is critical to ensuring the quality of your final product. From the moment you pick your produce from the field, the clock starts ticking. Our founder Ron Khosla authored a great article on Post Harvest Vegetable Care that summarizes our recommended practices. Check it out, and hopefully some of our tips can help on your farm.

For Urban Farmers: You’ll want to ensure that your walk-in cooler is properly outfitted to store fruits and vegetables. Use wire rack shelving and food-safe 5 gallon buckets to organize your goods after you weigh them.