The Importance of Flake Ice for Farmers During Fall Harvest

For farmers, the fall harvest season is a critical time. It is the culmination of a year’s worth of planning, hard work, and dedication, and the quantity and quality of their produce can make or break their income for the year. After months of growing fresh produce, the priority switches to harvesting and keeping crops cool during storage and transportation. This is where flake ice comes in.

Keeping fresh, newly harvested produce cold reduces spoilage and delivers top-quality fruits and vegetables to grocery stores, farmers markets, and supermarkets. As demand for quality fresh produce has grown over the last two decades, farmers are increasingly turning to flake ice as an optimal solution for protecting their harvest and maximizing profit.

Why Farmers Rely on Flake Ice During Fall Harvest

Flake ice is particularly well-suited to farmers’ needs at harvest time due to its quick cooling ability and effective moisture retention. Unlike block ice or packed snow, flake ice has essentially no sharp edges, making it soft and malleable. It can be easily spread over produce, which not only creates a consistent, cool temperature but also penetrates the nooks and crannies that aren’t effectively cooled by a block of ice. This makes flake ice especially versatile for perishable products that are easily bruised or damaged during shipping, storage, and handling. In addition, cooling freshly harvested produce near freezing temperatures immediately after picking, drastically slows down the ripening and deterioration process, reducing shrink.

Why Farmers Love Howe Ice Flakers

Howe’s Rapid Freeze® ice flakers are designed to meet the cooling needs of farmers and are trusted by produce harvesters, wholesalers, and retailers around the world. Howe Corp’s flake ice equipment produces the coldest, longest-lasting ice available on the market, which allows farmers to preserve the freshness and quality of their produce well beyond the fields. Whether it’s apples or cabbage, leafy greens or berries, Howe flake ice is designed to keep produce at the ideal temperature and humidity level for maximum freshness, while its soft texture reduces bruising and protects the delicate surfaces of fruits and vegetables. By protecting the quality of the harvest, farmers can charge a premium price to increase profit while reducing loss due to spoilage.

How Flake Ice is Used During Harvest

Cooling:

Produce cooling should start the minute that crops are pulled from the fields. When flake ice is applied immediately, heat is not able to build up, slowing the ripening and spoilage process. By reducing product temperature quickly after harvest, the shelf life of harvested produce is increased, boosting the farmer’s chance of getting their product to market in the best condition possible.

With Howe flake ice, farmers can be sure that they will get their product to market with a fresher product than their competitors, resulting in more money in their pocket and quality satisfaction from their customers.

Transportation:

To ensure produce is delivered to markets in the best possible condition, it must remain cold during transportation. Fresh fruits and vegetables require constant, long-lasting cold to maintain their quality throughout transit and the slow melting nature of flake ice provides that stability.

Farmers who ship produce with Howe flake ice can be assured that their products will remain cool and fresh throughout transit, with no temperature fluctuations during the trip.

In the food business, which can be brutally competitive, farmers know that the moment they part with their crop, it’s a battle to keep it in pristine condition right up to the moment of selection by the end-user. Flake ice guarantees that produce will be kept cold and arrive looking as good as it did when it was first picked.

Howe Flake Ice Sets a Global Standard for Fall Harvest

With fall harvest season well underway, farmers worldwide are turning to Howe ice to protect their produce. Howe Corp’s reliable flake ice equipment works behind the scenes to produce ample, high-quality flake ice that provides long-lasting produce cooling and protection. Howe flake ice gives farmers and produce retailers a discernible edge in the marketplace through reduced spoilage and extended shelf life.

If you’re a farmer interested in better protecting your produce after harvest, our flake ice solutions can help you. Contact us today to learn more about how Howe flakers can help preserve your produce and protect your investment during harvest season: General Information Request.