Pallet Shelters Get Approval Pt 1

Pallet Shelters Get Approval Pt 1

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
With today's Fruit Grower Report, I'm Bob Larson. After months of waiting for approval from the State Department of Health, the latest housing option is now available to farmers for their seasonal workforce. Everett-based Pallet Shelters was just given the go-ahead to market their easy to assemble fiberglass houses ...

KING ... "So, our shelters are highly portable and durable. They can be moved wherever you want, set wherever you want. They have a structural floor built into the base so you don't have to pour a foundation. That's a nice advantage for a grower to not have to do a bunch of prep-work. You don't have to run utilities or do excavation."

Owner Amy King says they're much sturdier and protective than tents, but just as simple to use ...

KING ... "All of our units are small enough, under 120 square feet, that you don't need a permit so you can put them anywhere on your property and not get in trouble for it. They also have built-in beds and shelves so a lot of times, by H-2A standards, you have to have certain things for all the workers."

King says their original design was created for disaster relief, but their latest model meets H-2A specs ...

KING ... "We have designed, our two new units especially, have been designed specifically to meet H-2A requirements. So, all of the space requirements, the heat, the air conditioning, temperature control, all the things growers need to meet, we've designed our products to meet those specifications so you can be confident that you'll be passing inspection. We are in final stages of our DOH approval. We don't have that yet, but we expect to have it shortly."

Go to www.palletshelter.com to check them out, and tune in tomorrow for more on these practical shelters.

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BL: Welcome back to another "Fruit Bites" brought to you by Valent U.S.A. With us again is Valent's Allison Walston. And this week Allison, let's talk about fresh and yummy cherries!

AW: It is fresh cherry time! But have you noticed that it often rains, right around cherry harvest?

BL: yes and don't the super plump cherries crack if too much water gets on them.

AW: yes. Growers try to keep the cherries dry. They'll run fans or fly helicopters really low to dry them off. They can also spray special coatings before the rain that prevent cherries from absorbing too much water & cracking. If a cherry cracks, it rots very quickly.

BL: What is the special coating made of?

AW: One example is a food grade fatty acid product called RainGard. This coating makes a protective film that keeps the cherry from sucking in water through the skin. If a cherry is plump and ready to pick, a little extra water can crack the fruit skin.

BL: Well, thanks Allison. Join us again next time for Fruit Bites, brought to you by Valent. Until then, I'm Bob Larson.

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