Please help us install a small walk-in cooler in the farm's root cellar by donating. Every dollar we raise for this project will be matched by the Eastern Market Corporation! 

One of the primary obstacles Beaverland Farms faces in going forward with its plans to wholesale larger, bulk orders of vegetable crops is that we are currently forced to harvest crops incrementally, leaving partially unused bed space for weeks at a time.  In an intensive-rotation system this can be the difference between a full crop rotation.  We are also forced to harvest each order independently, which increases risk of weather-related delays.

The farm has already dug and built a small root cellar for overwinter crops for personal use, but due to the variability of temperatures, it is not functional for the farm's commercial applications.  By enclosing the semi-underground structure in rigid foam insulation and adding an air conditioner, we will be able to take an advantage of the earth's stable thermal mass, storing produce in both summer and winter.

The cooler will increase farm efficiency and streamline our labor expenditures by allowing us to pre-harvest several orders simultaneously and store them for 24-48 hours prior to delivery. Most importantly the produce out of the field will be more quickly chilled to its optimal temperature, providing our restaurants and farmer's market customers with the freshest produce possible.