Virtual Field Tours with Wild Flight Organic Farm

Virtual Field Tours with Wild Flight Organic Farm
2020/2021​

Wild Flight Organic Farm is a certified organic vegetable farm in Mara, BC. They have been commercially producing and selling vegetables at farmers markets and direct to consumer for over 30 years. This three-part series highlights specific aspects of their farming business through virtual tours of their farming operation. Many thanks to Hermann and Louise Bruns for sharing their extensive knowledge!​

Field Tour Recordings:

1. Seed Starting and Season Extension (1:50 min)
2. Mechanization for Harvesting and Weeding Field Crops (1:30 min)
3. Winter Crop Storage (1:40 min)​

Resources: Mechanization for Harvesting and Weeding Field Crops
Equipment companies mentioned in the field tour:

• Tilmor – markets a bed lifter actually made by Thiessen Tillage Equipment in Canada
• Willsie Equipment Sales – Potato digger and bed lifter
• Buddingh Basket Weeders – custom built basket weeders
• The Lilliston rolling cultivators (as seen in the video) are no longer being made, but Tilmor has a similar product called a Spyder which will hill soil just as well

Tilmor also markets a whole line of smaller mechanized tillage equipment including basket weeders, Spyders, and finger weeders designed for use with walk-behind tractors. This scale could be more applicable to smaller growers wanting to mechanized their weed control. 

A series of older videos of Vegetable Farmers and their Weed Control Machines.

Resources: Winter Crop Storage

• Commercial Storage of Fruits and Vegetables. Agriculture Canada, 1990 (basic information and is relatively easy to read)
• The Commercial Storage of Fruits, Vegetables, and Florist and Nursery Stocks. Perfect for those who want to dive deep into vegetable storage.

Wild Flight Farm’s winter storage rooms viewed on the virtual tour (in the order that they appear on the tour): 

1. Winter squash storage: 7-10°C cooled with outdoor air inflow with constant air movement inside to keep it dry
2. Vegetable root storage: 0°C, active refrigeration
3. Apple/pear storage: 0°C, active refrigeration, kept separate from vegetables b/c they give off ethylene gas
4. Potato storage: 5°C, cooled with outdoor air inflow on a thermostat
5. Onion/garlic storage: 0-15°C. with constant air movement to keep produce as dry as possible