Grower & Marketer jgjjjpL. 181 Tomato Council Ensures Uniform Pack ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Farming Staff CEDARVILLE, N.J. If you want to market Jersey fresh, there are some things you simply have to do. For those bringing tomatoes to the New Jersey Tomato Council, be informed: your tomatoes are rotated under a camera, sorted by size, matched by color, and a PLU label is applied. All this is to ensure a “very uniform pack,” said Philip E. Neary, general manager of the Council. Neary spoke to about 45 growers and agri-industry rep resentatives in mid-July during a tour of the council’s process ing center in Cedarville. Pen nsylvania Vegetable Growers Association (PVGA) con ducted the summer field trip to 'T i Calendar Tuesday, December 14 New England Vegetable and Berry Conference and Trade Show, Sturbridge Host Hotel, Sturbridge, Mass., thru Dec. 16. Agribusiness Economic Out look Conference, Cornell University, 10 a.m.-3:30 Bill Gulvln, winemaker for Nissley Vineyards, Bainbridge, has been pressing grapes into fine wines for 24 years. Cal vin said the glory about East winemaking is “the variety.” See story page 12. Photo by Andy Andrew s the Council, the Vineland Pro duce Auction, Seabrook Brothers packing, and farms in the Cumberland County, N.J. area. The Council, established in 1993, strives to promote, pack, and sell fresh tomatoes grown by its 15 farmer-members from seven counties in New Jersey. Associates are from Cumber land County and other areas surrounding. The Council’s packing facil ity handles all stake-tomato production in New Jersey. The processing line employs computer-controlled optical sizing and color sorting, in addition to gentle handling features. The line can pack up to 1,000 25-pound boxes. Fifty employ ees handle various tasks, (Turn to Page 2) Tuesday, January 4 Solanco Young Farmer Prog ram, Money Management In Farm Show Complex, Har- (Turn to Page 3) , Philip E. Neary, general manager of the New Jersey Tomato Council, center, spoke to about 45 growers and agri-industry representatives in mid-July dur ing a tour of the council’s processing center in Cedarville. The Council, estab lished in 1993, strives to promote, pack, and sell fresh tomatoes grown by its 15 farmer-members from seven counties in New Jersey. Associates are from Cumberland County and other areas. From left, Wesley Kline, Cumberland County N.J. ag agent; Neary; and Bill Troxell, PVGA executive secretary. Photo by Andy Andrews \ Tim Elkner Lancaster County '\»s'' Mf Horticulture Agent j HortlCoun STARTING RIGHT WITH DRIP IRRIGATION The drought of 1999 will probably result in more drip irrigation systems on farms. If you have limited water avail able oh your farm, then perhaps a drip system would even make irrigation possible. Besides conserving water, drip irrigation will also allow you to irrigate regardless of weather conditions. In addition, drip irrigation does not wet the plant foliage and thus does not promote disease development. Fertilizers can also be applied through the drip sys tem. By properly timing the application of nutrients, maxi mum yields can be harvested ■ - ,Kt"c\ W A lomiuitk wi . , 1 11 r rc*~ without excessive fertilizer use. However, to realize all of the benefits of drip irrigation, the system must be properly designed. You can consult a professional to help you design a system or you can do it your self. Many growers have suc cessfully designed and installed their own drip systems. If you are the type to undertake this challenge, consider the follow ing tips from Dorota Ha man and Allen Smajstria from the agricultural engineering department at the University of Florida. First the length of lateral lines should not exceed the manufacturer’s recommenda tions for that particular type of drip tape. Lines that are too by V?* . long will cause uneven water ing and poor application unifor mity. Emitters at the ends of the lines will be putting out less water than the emitters at the beginning of the line. This will result in uneven fertilizer appli cations through the system as well as possible plant stress in the poorly watered areas. Next be sure all mains and submains are sized to prevent excessive pressure losses and velocities. Large variations in pressure again can result in uneven water application and the resulting problems men tioned above. Water velocities that are too high can result in a pressure wave or water hammer (Turn to Pag* 7) y
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