For several months now, the Covid-19 pandemic has been impacting people’s health, life, and habits all around the world. Closed borders, lockdowns and social distancing are putting many industries – especially the fresh food industry- through the mill. On the one hand, some growers at the forefront are seriously affected by this situation, letting the produce rot in field or destroying it directly because sales are slow. On the other hand, some innovative growers are handling this situation with serenity and flexibility, answering the increase in local demand thanks to a storage solution.
“Thanks to the JMT US Bins […] we are putting smiles on many faces in this difficult time”
Dave Dumaresq, owner of Farmer Dave’s in Dracut, MA has been able to adapt and provide fresh produce for months:
“As we move through our second winter storing with the JMT US bins, I am so glad that we made the investment in more than 100 of them. With COVID-19, demand for our product has been skyrocketing. Thanks to the JMT bins we have plenty of apples and vegetables, harvested last fall, to add to our spring greenhouse greens. We have a great variety to offer to our customers in this traditionally “off” period. We are putting smiles on many faces in this difficult time”
For Dave Fahnestock, owner of Hands on the Earth Orchard in Lititz, PA the slow market and the quality of his apples do not worry him:
“The bins are keeping my apples in great condition, without that I would be more concerned that my slower sales right now would force me to use the last apples as juice. The way they are, I should be able to keep selling them as fresh market.”
A few words about JMT US LLC
JMT US LLC, specializes in flexible controlled atmosphere (CA) since 2009, bringing innovation and new opportunities to organic and conventional growers worldwide. Their JMT bin gives the ability to whoever owns a cold room to access CA. Extending shelf life without using chemicals nor gas injection grants the user to naturally extend the shelf life of its produce, obtain long term storage and meet the market expectations.
Today, the equipment is recognized and appreciated for the versatility and flexibility it offers to a wide range of fresh produce sectors: fruit, vegetables, flowers, mushrooms and hemp/cannabis. The possibilities are great.
A few words about the JMT storage bins technology
For more than 50 years, CA storage of fresh produce, which primarily consists in low oxygen conditions, has been reserved to apple, pears and kiwifruit in large dedicated rooms. JMT US brought a true game changer by making CA available in bin-size containers, for use in any regular cold room, for a wide range of fresh produce!
Even more stunning: with these bins, it is the respiration of the stored fresh produce that brings the energy to modify the atmosphere inside the bin! No gas injection, no additional energy, no chemical needed: the only true natural controlled atmosphere, allowed by gas selective membranes integrated to the lid! The adaptation to a wide range of produce is made by adjusting the cold room temperature, the quantity of produce inside the bin, and the membrane area open on the lid for gas exchanges.
And there is more: the patented equipment maintains a 100% hygrometry inside the bin all throughout the storage period, thus avoiding any weight (and freshness!) loss. Even after months, the produce is “as fresh as it had just been picked”.
And finally, for the professionals who also have storage concerns during freight, the bins are designed to be shipped to ensure and maintain consistent quality during whole process.
www.jmt-us.com
