EARTH'S FINEST CARROTS

The carrot planter sets seeds, plants the rows, and packs them in beds. The seeds are kept moist to germinate.

Carrots have a hard time competing with weeds. Since hand weeding is costly, the best bet is rotating into a clean field and keeping it clean. Also, before the carrots emerge, the beds are weeded using a propane burner (above, left) that reaches about 3000 degrees Fahrenheit. Igor takes care to adjust the flamers to kill the weeds and not the carrot seedlings(above, right).

HARVESTING

Our fields are inspected by Washington State Organic Inspectors (above) to verify that practices used are within guidelines and organic regulations. They always have been and will
continue to be.

 

 

1999 Harvest was good. This is the harvester. The front has digger blades in the ground that lift the carrots to the first, "primary" chain.

There they are shaken and carried by the chain past the disks which keep the carrots from falling back to the ground. Loose dirt falls through the chain.

The carrots are carried to the "secondary" chain where fingers break up any dirt clods and the carrots are hopefully freed of debris. They fall next to the cross table, are carried to the boom and moved to the truck that travels along beside the digger.

When the truck is full, off it goes to the processor...another truck takes it's place.

The field is nice sifted dirt after the harvest.
Organic Carrots & Cashews with Thai Ginger Sauce...a new product developed in our test kitchen, and now available at Trader Joe's...under the Trader Joe's label. Truly Yummy!