Efficiency in Harvesting & Processing
Looking for some quick ways to “straighten your noodle”? In this post I’m sharing a few methods for shortening the path of your flowers from the field to your customer. In ‘The Lean Farm’ by Ben Hartman, the phrase “straightening the noodle” is used to explain creating a direct path from the field to your customer. Or— for other processes on the farm. The more curly the noodle, the longer the path is.
If you’re not sure what this looks like for you, take an aerial photo of your property and actually draw out the path of your product as it moves around from the field and eventually gets to your customer. You can can save time, labor, and injury to your perishable goods by shortening and straightening that path.
A similar process can be applied to the raw materials that are brought on to your property. Why bring something in that you have to take time to store and later take more time to remove from storage prior to use. Instead, purchase only what you need and take it directly to it’s point of use upon arrival (when possible).
OK- back to the flowers.
Method 1: Painter’s Tape
One very simple way to shorten your flower harvesting and processing “noodle” is to use a common length of painters tape on your flower processing table/work surface to eliminate any guess work when it comes to cutting flowers to a common length for market bouquets. This time-saving method allows anyone who makes bouquets to compare their stems to the tape right in front of them and cut them all to the same length. It also eliminates the need to moved bunched bouquets to a common flower cutting tool in the processing room.
We use 16 inches as our length for our supermarket/pick up paper wrapped bunches.
We also use pre-made craft paper sleeves. We do not use sheets, because they require folding and fastening. The sleeves are so much faster for us. While we may pay a little more for them, we have the benefits of not having to fiddle with them to make them look uniform (time wasted) and fasten them (money wasted on staples or stickers). We use a simple rubber stamp that can be applied as a work from home project by anyone on your team. I know there’s some interest in how we support our farm with work from home jobs, so I’ll be sure to assemble a full list of the things we’ve sent home with staff in another post. Those projects are great for people who can’t come to work due to a sick child at home or other childcare / after school responsibilities, etc.
Method 2: Combined Harvesting and Processing Station
Another way to straighten your noodle is to combine your harvesting and processing steps into a single station. Use a “body standard” to learn how to cut your flowers to the proper length when you harvest them. This way you aren’t cutting them once in the field, stripping a few leaves, moving the flowers, and then cutting and stripping them again. That more lengthy process is redundant.
Learn how to measure your desired stem length against your body. For me, 16 inches is the length from the tips of my fingers to the crease of my elbow. I always have that measuring tool with me. I use my arm to measure the first couple of stems and then I can just use the stems I’ve cut to harvest more flowers at the same length. Count and band the flower bunches as you go. Add the sleeves right there at your harvest cart (if you plan to sell them soon) and move the flowers directly into the cooler. You can also leave the wrappers off and just put the banded flower bunches into the cooler if you want to wrap them later/as they are sold.
We added a large beach umbrella to one of our garden carts for the purpose of field harvesting and processing. A small wooden shelf on the back holds a bulb crate to collect the leaves we strip. The composting station is near the flower cooler, so the flowers are bunched and moved to the cooler and the leaves are left at the composting station at the same time. There is another post here on the Pro Platform with information about these carts.
METHOD 3: Single variety bunches
There seems to be a lot of emphasis in our industry on making mixed bouquets. People are always inquiring in Facebook groups about which flowers bloom when and how they look with other flowers in market bouquets. My suggestion: ignore them. Consider making clean, simple single-type flower bunches for your retail customers. - Or, at least so that some of the time. These bunches are SO MUCH FASTER to put together and you can charge the same amount for them. Depending on how many you are putting together, the difference can be hours saved in labor expenses and labor taken away from other farming projects.
When we always make mixed flower bunches and a customer has little or no choice, we’re essentially giving them everything they might want in a single item. If you put out your flowers in single type bunches, you force them to make a decision. This color over that color or this type of flower over that type. Some people have a really hard hard time doing that and they will decide to take several bunches in order to have a collection themselves.
Give it a try! When you set up a “flower market” experience you’re also engaging the customer in a different way. You can even promote this kind of sale as a special event.
We tend to alternate the types of flowers bunches we put out through the season. We’ll do a couple weeks of like-kind bunches followed by a couple weeks of mixed bunches to keep customers on their toes and interested.
I hope those ideas were helpful. Hop in and share other ways you’ve straightened your flower “noodle.”
Cheers!