Picking/Packing Containers

moon1234 · August 8, 2012

I am wondering what most of you larger growers are using for picking and packing containers? I have around 700 tomatoes this year and 1000 pepper plants.

I bought about 30 RoPak containers this spring. 15 of the yellow 7/8 bushel and 15 of the gree 1.75 bushel containers to use this season. I am finding that my chefs like them a little too much and they tend to hang on to them until I ask for them back. They like the way they stack and I found one using them to pick their own herbs in instead of returning them. I have corrected that problem.

I am now worried I do not NOT have enough picking/packing containers as the tomatoes are just starting to ripen and I don't think I have enough containers.

I am looking to buy more, but I would like to know what you use and do you like them? The yellow 7/8 bushel containers are nice, but I routinely screw up the nest/stack by having the crate facing the wrong way. My kids are worse.

I am looking at buying InterCrate 6.7 containers. They seem to be much more suited for tomatoes, peppers, etc. Has anyone use them? What is the quality like? I would also like to get some of the larger Fresh Tote's they are selling. They look to be bullet proof.

I considered cardboard, but I don't really have a nice packing shed yet and your not supposed to field pack tomatoes in cardboard for sanitary reasons. This is why I like the plastic containers. They are easy to clean and re-use.

The pricing I got was $10 for the 6.7 containers and $22.50 for the Fresh Totes (Which seems rather expensive). The 6.7's are affordable, cheaper even than the Ropak, but shipping is a killer at around $170.

Here is some more information and demonstartion:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM5qm8sbRpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud1ie...feature=relmfu
http://www.google.com/search?q=inter...x=&startPage=1

August 8, 2012	#1
moon1234 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 54	Picking/Packing Containers I am wondering what most of you larger growers are using for picking and packing containers? I have around 700 tomatoes this year and 1000 pepper plants. I bought about 30 RoPak containers this spring. 15 of the yellow 7/8 bushel and 15 of the gree 1.75 bushel containers to use this season. I am finding that my chefs like them a little too much and they tend to hang on to them until I ask for them back. They like the way they stack and I found one using them to pick their own herbs in instead of returning them. I have corrected that problem. I am now worried I do not NOT have enough picking/packing containers as the tomatoes are just starting to ripen and I don't think I have enough containers. I am looking to buy more, but I would like to know what you use and do you like them? The yellow 7/8 bushel containers are nice, but I routinely screw up the nest/stack by having the crate facing the wrong way. My kids are worse. I am looking at buying InterCrate 6.7 containers. They seem to be much more suited for tomatoes, peppers, etc. Has anyone use them? What is the quality like? I would also like to get some of the larger Fresh Tote's they are selling. They look to be bullet proof. I considered cardboard, but I don't really have a nice packing shed yet and your not supposed to field pack tomatoes in cardboard for sanitary reasons. This is why I like the plastic containers. They are easy to clean and re-use. The pricing I got was $10 for the 6.7 containers and $22.50 for the Fresh Totes (Which seems rather expensive). The 6.7's are affordable, cheaper even than the Ropak, but shipping is a killer at around $170. Here is some more information and demonstartion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM5qm8sbRpo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud1ie...feature=relmfu http://www.google.com/search?q=inter...x=&startPage=1