A New Taste

• By Courtney Pedersen
• Jan 03, 2008

Chase Farms in Walkerville, Mich., is leading the way in new technology for processing vegetables and fruits. Hundreds of customers include Campbell’s, Heinz, Sara Lee, Conagra and Gerber (now owned by Nestle). Chase Farms is the biggest vegetable processor in the state and one of the largest in the eastern United States. It owns about 900 acres of land, more than half of which is farmable; other goods are purchased from farmers in the rest of the state. Around 25,000 acres worth of farm produce is devoted to Chase Farms’ contractual growing needs per year.

This family-run business started in 1969 processing cherries. It moved on to include asparagus and added more products over time with the necessary equipment and facilities. The first year, Chase processed about 150,000 pounds. In 2007, it will prepare more than 100 million pounds of finished products.

“Four years ago, we built a new 4.5 million cubic feet freezer building that, together with our other freezer facilities, can handle 88 million pounds of goods and 50,000 pallet positions. We go eight pallets high: the center of that building from floor to ceiling is 44 feet tall,” said Brett Chase, vice president of Chase Farms. “We added a second freezer structure shortly thereafter, so our total capacity right now is 8.8 million cubic feet. Another is already planned since we are reaching capacity right now.”

Quality Control
Chase Farms has the latest technology in every part of its business: the food processing equipment meticulously checks all the vegetables and fruit, including whether they are the correct colors. If the hues are off, high-pressure air bursts blow them out of the production stream. Another machine specially ordered from Europe handles squash. Others process cherries—washing, sorting and pitting. Green beans and carrots also get washed, sorted, cut, blanched, frozen and packaged.

Sept. 11, 2001, drove Chase Farms toward security, with heightened threats and ensuing safety requirements. The Bio- Terrorism Act that came thereafter brought strict demands for traceability.

“This business has changed a lot since my grandfather started it. We have to know exactly where each bean or cherry has come from, how it’s handled, where it goes and when,” Chase said. “We are monitored by the FDA, MDA and the USDA. Another firm that grades food production is the American Institute of Bakeries, whose audit scores give bakery clients criteria for choosing suppliers. It reflects on your company when you take measures to be more compliant.”

These agencies visit the farm regularly to grade the food quality on its levels of compliance. Customers check these grades as a competitive parameter, so this area of the business directly affects the bottom line. The Milestone-Axis IP video surveillance system helps Chase Farms manage quality control and provide visible proof of superiority in its food processing.

“Customers call to ask about the status of their shipments, and they can be shown or sent the images right away. Chase Farms uses the Milestone software’s Smart Client interface to zoom right in and see the finest detail in the great definition of the Axis megapixel cameras,” said Scott Kohsel, vice president at ROK Systems. “Even our long-valued customers love to receive the video clips that let them see the exact status on their orders anytime they ask for it. We can just say: Take a look for yourself, here it is.”

The individual quick-freeze machines at Chase Farms freeze vegetables and fruit—no more need for the clumps of beans frozen in blocks of water that the food industry calls “wet packs.” Chase Farms’ frozen cherries, for example, are separated like pristine marbles, ready to thaw and enjoy.

Delivery Issues
“Most of the goods packed go into a 1,400-pound bin that no one is going to easily steal. But we do have incidences around safety and procedures, like a forklift running into a door, which the surveillance helps us to resolve,” Chase said. “We also had a truck company come load up, which later claimed we shorted them a bin. All we had to do was send them the video proof, so shipping issues are easily resolved.”

ROK Systems initially implemented a new time and attendance system for Chase Farms several years ago, then installed an access control solution. When they learned of Chase Farms’ dissatisfaction with their DVR surveillance, they offered a better way forward with the Milestone IP video platform and Axis megapixel cameras.

“With the Milestone software networked approach and PoE megapixel cameras from Axis, we have great flexibility to scale up our needs as the business continues to grow,” Chase said.

ROK Systems puts the Axis cameras into Videolarm heat-blower housings to handle the cold temperatures in the freezer buildings, which are kept at 7 to 8 degrees below zero.

Camera Coverage
“You cannot walk through the Chase production floors and not be on camera—there’s not a dead spot on the property. They’ve got cameras all over, inside and out,” Kohsel said.

The managers given access to the Milestone software can see everything: trucks pulling in to the scales and the receiving area; products going through the machinery for cleaning, sorting, cutting, blanching, freezing, packing and shipping.

In addition to the food production areas, cameras cover the canteen and vending machines and the locker area. Through the seasonal changes in staff, employees’ locker contents are safe under the watchful eyes of the surveillance.

“This system is so awesome. I use it all the time for total overview of everything going on,” said Vince Miskosky, vice president of operations at Chase Farms. “I can see where everybody is and get in touch with them immediately, calling them on their radios to alert them to something that needs their attention, perhaps elsewhere in the buildings. I can see where all the products are in the lines, if things are moving too slow or too fast, or if a machine has stopped.

“All of this is really unique. We can see exactly what is going on; all the different lines in each area in different stages of their processing. We have such amazingly clear images with the megapixel cameras and can zoom right in on the details.”

Miskosky describes how easy it is to use the Milestone software. He has set up his own views of cameras by groups and locations, by number and layout. He likes to use the Smart Client Hot Spot feature to open a camera view in a larger window before zooming in.

“The carousel functionality is really great, too. It runs through all the cameras in one of the windows, regardless of the views chosen, so I always have an overview of the whole place,” he said.

Chase said the carousel is set to run through a different camera from the entire facility every 5 seconds.

“I think this system is just great. Everybody who comes here is so impressed—our customers think it’s awesome, too. They haven’t seen anything like it, so it gives us a real competitive edge,” Miskosky said.

Integrated Systems
Chase said the solution includes audio capability from the Milestone XProtect Enterprise software. Among other things, this enables Chase Farms to listen to the airburst machines that sort unacceptable product off the lines, making a popping sound. With the audio feature, they will be able to both see video and hear the machines’ operational status. If they are not popping enough, they are not working optimally.

ROK Systems integrated both the time and attendance system and access control with the Milestone surveillance software that triggers recording upon any entrance or exit. Chase managers can pull up the data that’s time-stamped with the video and the access control. They also receive reports from the time and attendance system. Combined with the video and access control data, they can see who is supposed to be working, who is working or not and when, keeping track of the late arrivals.

“In this business, the customers’ buyers have been driving demand for better service— they wanted the access control, for example. Chase Farms has gone another step beyond to proactively have this integrated with IP video,” Chase said. “We have the integration with a high-end platform that allows us to provide a best-ofbreed solution with megapixel cameras and integration to the other systems.”