Looping in the Summer

Keeping food fresh in hot weather can be challenging - especially if you don’t have access to cool storage facilities. And how do you handle passing your pickups to others when you want to go on a summer vacation? Let’s chat about how to make the most of your summer with Loop.

Sorting into Banana Boxes

In the summer, proper airflow will be your best friend to keep food fresh! After you do your pickup, sort your load into that excess of banana boxes you have piling up everywhere. The holes in those boxes move air around well and will keep food cooler.

Make sure you are removing all packaging and sorting by kind of food, the same as you would do any other time. Removing packaging is especially important in the summer so that the produce can get proper airflow, and not accumulate too much moisture.

Sorting by Freshness

Another way to sort loads is by freshness, and how long the produce will last. Sort into banana boxes, but make sure you feed out bruised apples, wilting lettuce, and browning bananas before other produce that is in better condition and will last longer. 

This method is great because it eliminates a lot of wasted food. On the day of your pickup, there will be items that are still good for another day or two but won’t last the whole week till your next pickup.

Proper Storage

If possible, storing your load in a dry, cool place like a shop is ideal, however there are other options as well. 

If you receive meat scraps and deli food that you can feed your dogs, freezing it will keep it in good condition for a long time. If you have the freezer space that is. Otherwise, you will have to feed it out much quicker. Meat will become inedible very quickly in hot weather. 

Now that you have sorted your load into banana boxes, store it in the shade or in a cool space indoors like a garage or shed - somewhere with good airflow, and out of direct sunlight. It is also important to keep it out of the reach of any farm or wild animals before you plan to feed it out. If it’s outside, consider puttting up a tall fence to keep all the animals out. Food safety is just as important for your animals as it is for you. 

Finding Cover

Warmer temperatures means getaways to enjoy camping, hiking or even further away vacations for extended periods. That’s great! Here’s how to plan coverage for your pickups:

- Reach out to the coverage farms in your area with as much notice as possible. 

- If you cannot find a coverage farm to take your load, you can open it up to farms with regular weekly pickups. 

- If your pickup is within the next 24 hours, post on your regional Facebook page to find someone to cover your pickup.

As soon as you find coverage, give your friendly regional scheduler a call to update them with who is covering your pickup, and on which day. 

If you are planning to be away for more than six weeks you will need to reach out to scheduling@loopresource.ca to discuss how to handle this.

For other information on finding coverage, please read through the farm manual under your profile on the Loop website, or reach out to your scheduler. They are here to help and support you!

Summer Projects

Summer is the perfect time to use up some of the things you receive in Loop, like cardboard boxes and plastic containers. Use those plastic containers as mini greenhouses for starting your seeds. And cardboard is an invaluable resource in the summer! 

Check out these blog posts on "15 Ways to Re-Use Cardboard Boxes", and "Other Packaging you Recieve in Loop"

We would love to see how you are sorting and storing your Loop loads in the summer! Email us your pictures, and any tips you have!

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