With all of the heavy losses due to mites, etc., they are reporting ALL violations and bee kills. Marketing Many of you know that the PYO market has changed over the last few years, due mostly to the fact that there are a lot of families where both parents work and there are a lot of single parent families. This doesn't mean that they don't still like fresh, local grown produce. This means that having pre-picked produce is a must for a successful operation. We must, therefore, keep them coming back.
Many people feel that on-site cold storage is too expensive.
I have in my office several plans on constructing your own cooler. I encourage every grower that is going to hold fruit to have on-site cooling facilities. Don't have old equipment, pesticide containers, etc. Provide a rest area out of the sun. Harvesting and handling blackberries for sales in which the berries must be stored and transported can be very difficult since blackberries do not hold up as well as blueberries and other fruits.