Introduction to the Cool-Bot and Post-Harvest Handling

Please join us for an afternoon workshop with sessions focusing on the ingenious Cool-Bot device and optimal Post-Harvest Handling practices. The Cool-Bot is a device that allows the user to take a well-insulated room and digital air conditioner unit and create a walk-in refrigerator at a fraction of the cost of purchasing a conventional model. The Introduction to the Cool-Bot Session will cover an overview of the instillation process, appropriate air conditioner selection, insulation and power requirements, and a demonstration of a mobile refrigeration unit. In the Post-Harvest Handling Session, workshop attendees will learn about growing long shelf-life vegetables as well as harvest and postharvest activities that impact product quality and actions that can be taken to minimize food safety risks on the farm. This workshop is designed for farmers, homesteaders, gardeners, and those generally interested in community food systems.