Peeler Adds Value To Butternut Squash

Peeler Adds Value To Butternut Squash FARM HOME Food Anyone who has ever hand-peeled a Butternut squash can appreciate how helpful a motorized peeler can be – especially one that can easily peel three of them in a minute At $13 500 the RJWTM Automated Butternut Squash Peeler isn’t a household item but it may be a good investment for large acreage growers who want to add value to their squash crop Consumers often prefer packaged peeled and chopped squash ready to cook as a side dish in soup or for pie says Ronald Widelo who invented the patented peeler about 12 years ago The best butternut squash are sold whole but value can be added to blemished squash by packaging them The challenge is that commercial peelers on the market require water or air and cost $75 000 or more Widelo’s system peels dry using a stainless steel 30 by 38-in setup operated by a quiet 1/4-hp Baldor motor It’s similar to an apple peeler and peels squash from 4 1/2 to 22 in long Peelings fall in a tote and make great livestock feed “It s simple to work on and maintain ” Widelo says “I send it set up and ready to peel along with a video to show how to use it ” Widelo says more farmers are purchasing the peeler to increase profits with direct sales They peel and prepare the squash and sell it to area restaurants grocery stores and farmers markets “I sold one to a buyer in Cape Town South Africa It used to take him half a day to peel and cut up 500 lbs of squash Now he does it in half an hour ” Widelo says The peelers are made in the U S and have a 1-year warranty A video that shows how the peeler works and cleans up easily can be seen at www farmshow com It also peels turnips Contact: FARM SHOW Followup RJW Automated Butternut Squash Peelers P O Box 155 North Hatfield Mass 01066 ph 413 320-6195; www butternutpeeler com

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.