Building the Farm - Wash Station
The night before Truett’s 7th birthday party, around 9 pm, our refrigerator stopped working. We’d had it for years, and it having been one of our first big purchases for the East Austin house, it was something we suspected we’d have for a long time. Normally, it might not have been an issue, though with the party coming up, we had stocked the fridge with ingredients for the party, including all the fixings for a dozen or more pizzas. In a moment of near-panic, we ran to Lowe’s and bought a replacement, which lived in the garage while we got the main one going.
Months later, the garage fridge became the de facto farm fridge, extending the life of probably 60 pounds of cucumbers, squashes, basil, okra, parsley, kale, and chard. It was so nice to have the space to preserve the hard work of the season, especially in a way that felt detached from the home. I have strived to build a sense of professionalism in this work, which is hard, and part of that includes the feeling of ‘going to work,’ rather than working at home. I aim for leaving the house and going outside to work for much of the day, leaving behind the endless things that must happen for the house and the family to remain covered. Those things happen after work, and on the weekends (ideally). In reality, the worlds are very much enmeshed, something I’m constantly working to improve.
Getting a taste of this motivated me to consider a more permanent, detached place to wash, weigh and store our harvests before they enter our home. Quelite products would be primarily kept on the farm side of things, and only that which we decided we wanted to consume would enter our personal spaces. As luck would have it, my non-profit had received an old refrigerator from a dear friend, Curtis, who owned a small juice company in Austin.
With this fridge, along with the second birthday fridge, we could store a good amount of veggies in a pinch until we’re able to build something more substantial (although plans for that are in the works, as well).
I settled on a standalone building, about 12 by 6 feet, which would house 2 fridges, a nice large stainless steel sink donated by a friend (thanks, Marcie!), and all the washing and packing and weighing supplies needed to fill CSA boxes.
I essentially built a deck a few inches above ground, framed out walls with 2x4 studs and 4x4 corner posts, and skinned it with beadboard. The transom above the door frame remains open for ventilation (and rain, if that ever happens again), and the door frame is likewise open. Perhaps someday I’ll add a sliding barn door for aesthetic purposes or to keep critters out.
I placed the building near an irrigation riser, and I was able to plumb the sink with 2 different hose attachments for washing veggies in the sink. The next step is probably a drying screen, maybe even some fans to help in the drying of washed crops. Before we have a need for the refrigerators in the fall, I’ll be on the lookout for a solar setup so that the whole operation can run without needing supplementary power.
Yeah, it’s about time for a cooler!
Grey water used for washing veggies will end up in 5 gallon buckets, and eventually on fig and loquat trees nearby, minimizing the sting of using water for cooling crops and washing greens and root vegetables.
All told, I’m pretty pleased with the setup, although I anticipate sooner than later needing something bigger. There are dreams - expensive dreams - of both a mobile walk-in cooler (more to come on that soon), and further in the future a full size steel outbuilding which will be the headquarters of Quelite Farm, fully realizing the objective of dividing work from personal life. Oh, and Truett wants a studio for dress designs and painting.
