Harvesting & Packing

From the field to fresh stalks: The Process of Harvesting and Packaging.

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Celery Harvest to Packing Process

Harvesting and packing celery is one of the most labor-intensive steps in celery farming, requiring skilled workers and specialized equipment. A celery harvester, equipped with oscillating blades or hydraulic cutters, cuts the celery at its base. The machine lifts stalks onto a conveyor belt, which gently moves them to the next stage without damage. Some harvesters also trim and clean the celery in the field, reducing handling and preserving quality. As the harvester moves through the field, a tractor drives alongside, collecting celery in trailers for transport.

After harvesting, the celery is taken to a packing facility, where workers sort out damaged or undesirable stalks. Excess branches are removed, and the butt of the stalk is trimmed. The celery is placed on a conveyor belt for thorough cleaning to remove soil. Once cleaned, stalks are sleeved in plastic, packed into cardboard boxes, and stored in a cooler before shipment. Some celery is also set aside for storage in cribs, depending on its intended use.

Fun Facts

  • Celery is about 95% water, making it an extremely hydrating food and a great choice for hot weather.

  • Celery was used medicinally by the ancient Egyptians and Greeks for ailments like high blood pressure, anxiety, and even hangovers!

  • On average, it takes a single celery plant 120 days to mature from a seedling, and up to 200 days from a seed.

Related Links

  1. Operating a Forklift

    Youtube video on how to safely and professionally operate a forklift.

  2. Manual Celery Harvest

    Youtube video on manually harvesting celery.

  3. Automatic Celery Packaging

    Youtube video on the fully automatic process of packaging stalks of celery.

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Forklifting

Forklift driving is an import skill to have, because many different places use them. We’ll find out how there’re used in celery farming


Celery IconForklifting
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Cleaning & Sanitization

How can you be sure that your stalk of celery is actually clean? We’ll talk about all the sanitization processes that ensure you fresh celery is clean.

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Nutritional Benefits

We’ve been discussing how celery is farmed, but we need to discuss why it’s actually good for you, and why you should be eating more celery.


Celery IconNutritional Benefits