Walk-in Cooler Considerations and Construction

Ensuring the fruits and vegetables produced by your farm make it to the consumer in the best possible condition requires proper storage between harvest and delivery. Tim Landgraf from One Step at a Time Gardens will discuss the three types of walk-in coolers he has used over the farm’s 20-year history. He will also cover important considerations when choosing a cooler, such as size, temperature, shelving, product life and common issues. Tony Thompson, of New Family Farm, will discuss the process he recently went through to build his own walk-in cooler, and share his blueprints, material, and advice for those thinking of doing the same.

Tim Landgraf and Jan Libbey have operated One Step at a Time Gardens near Kanawha, Iowa, since 1990, raising produce that they market through a CSA, as well as chickens. They offer a variety of CSA share options from mid-May through December, and direct market their chicken.

Tony Thompson is a beginning farmer operating an expanding CSA on his family’s Century Farm near Elkhart, Iowa. Tony serves on the boards of the Iowa Farmers Union and Iowa Food Co-op.