LI farmers eye facility to keep produce fresh
Quick ReadWith a recent $500,000 state grant, Long Island farmers could eventually have a public facility for packaging, cooling and distributing their goods -- something that doesn't currently exist.
Photo credit: Randee Daddona | Joe Ochoa, a supervisor at Satur Farms in Cutchogue, loads lettuces into a refrigerated unit. (Jan. 6, 2012)
The instant a head of lettuce is harvested, it starts to decay. That's the nature of the perishables business, says Paulette Satur, and the reason that access to equipment like a vacuum cooler is vital for farmers.
"Chilling something quickly and maintaining that cold is imperative for food quality," said Satur, owner of Satur Farms in Cutchogue. Because of a recent $500,000 state grant, Long...
