End of Week 5

Well , the first five weeks are over and I can't believe it! It seems like I just got here, but I've been here for a month. This week was a week to test patience and communication. We had two load rejected due to a low CAS, but that wasn't the issue. The issue was trying to explain to the company where the product ended up (back in the tanks it came from). We had more calls and e-mails about "problems" that didn't exist than we had since I've been here. These calls and e-mails lead to taking time away from work to explain to the company what happened even though they had the paperwork in front of them. All of that set aside, I had a great week. I was able to work in the office and set up loads for the week. I also did a lot of the chemistry for the new tanks and I learned how to grade tanks CAS. These things will help me when the harvest season starts. I can't wait! We start working longer hours next week to get ready and let's hope for less confusion!


Did you know that Berrien Springs, MI has dubbed itself the Christmas Pickle Capital of the World?  In early December, they host a parade, led by the Grand Dillmeister, who tosses out fresh pickles to parade watchers.

What a Way to End a Week!

So we start work at 5AM... at least we're supposed to. Unfortunately we had to give wake up calls to a few of our co-workers so we could start pumping because we don't know how. We had nine loads today and almost everything went off without a hitch after we got started. I can't believe I have been here for four weeks because it seems like I just came to Bowling Green. I have learned a lot about the industry and can't wait for the season to start to see the hectic and crazy tank yard! 
Did you know: In 1985, Steven Trotter became the youngest man to conquer the crest of Niagara Falls in a pickle barrel. Actually, it was two plastic pickle barrels surrounded by rubber inner tubes. 

It's Been Crazy

So the past few days have been crazy! Last week I had to go home for a family emergency, but I came back and what a way to start the week... the pump broke. We were supposed to ship 10 loads yesterday and after the second one, the pump broke. The pump is used to get the pickles out of the tank and into the tubs on the trucks, but with it broke there is no easy way to load. We ended up cancelling the rest of the loads and using the remainder of the day to fix the pump. The only bad thing was that most of the loads we cancelled were shifted into today's loads. Luckily the pump worked today. We are expecting to ship out 10 loads tomorrow and will hopefully not have any other problems this week, but all is well in Bowling Green!
Did you know that the pickle is both a fruit and a vegetable? 

Another Week Down

What can I say, but another week is over! The week started out with shipping a lot of trucks across the nation. We shipped to Kaiser, Vlasic and Heinz this week. With having more time working in the office, I was able to take on more responsibilities such as entering information into the computers and printing reports to send to the companies. I even sent out reports to the president of Hartung Brothers, Inc. We started making new brine to get ready for the busy season ahead so we started testing the brine mixture. It has also been nice weather this past week unlike last week when we had lots of rain and tornado sirens. I can't believe I have been here for two weeks! I have learned a lot about the company and can't wait for work next week!
Did you know?: Many people consider pickle brine a useful commodity, with its complex flavor of spices, salt, vinegar, and pickled vegetables. It’s been used as a soup stock, a hangover remedy, a drink, and—for many eastern European women—a cosmetic. There are even reports of some American roller-skating rinks selling pickle-brine snow cones.

Ending Week 1

So today is finally Friday! We had a few trucks of pickles leave the tank yard early this morning and afterwards was paperwork and getting to know my co-workers. My co-workers are Dan, Dave, Tad and Beth. Beth works in the office at the tank yard and helps with getting the trucks loaded and back on the road. Dan, Dave and Tad all work in the tank yard and have all the miscellaneous jobs to do. Dan is our supervisor, while Tad is the mechanic and Dave is the Lab Tech.  I work a lot with Dave. We collect samples of the brine from the tanks and test them for many different things to ensure the cucumbers are pickling. I also work with Beth in the office with trucking. 
I can't believe a whole week has passed and I can't wait for next week to start, but for now it's a three day weekend! According to the USDA, 97500 acres of cucumbers were harvested for pickles in the United States in 2009. 

Learning the Basics

This morning I worked in the office. I learned how to fill out paperwork for trucks leaving the tank yard. It was really fun helping the truckers and the crew navigate the tank yard using radios. Later in the day, I took samples from 21 tanks to test the pH, lactic acid and calcium. The tests we use make the brines change colors and it easy to tell if we have to add something to the tanks. I finished testing the brines just in time to see the clouds roll in and the rain to come pouring down. The day ended with cleaning up after the first storm and getting the trucking lists ready for Thursday.
Did you know that pickle juice is said to prevent cramping? Many athletes and trainers drink pickle juice after a workout. 

The First Day at Work

I was hired to work with Hartung Brothers, Inc. for the summer. This opportunity came to my attention through the UW-River Falls CAFES Internship program. I wanted to see a different aspect of agriculture and thought working in the Bowling Green, Ohio cucumber tank yard would be fun and a great way to see a different part of the industry. 


Today was my first day working in Bowling Green, Ohio! I met the people I will be working with for the summer. My job for the summer includes: taking samples of the brine and testing it for calcium, salt, sugar and pH; I also get to weigh in trucks and help with the paperwork. Walking 950 tanks multiple times a day is really tiring, but it is a really interesting industry. Did you know that the average American eats 8.5 lbs of pickles each year? That would explain why there are 950 tanks full of pickles at the Hartung Brothers tank yard in Bowling Green.