Jimmy Berke checks on trays of bright red tomatoes drying in a specially equipped 90-degree solar room that includes dehumidifiers and fans, reports The Palm Beach Post.
He’s pleased to see they’re coming along, soon to be on their way to customers who love the sun-dried products his business Leechango Plantation at Turtle Creek produces.
“We are also sun-drying persimmons. That’s something you won’t see anywhere,” said Berke, 64, who has owned and lived on the 25 acres in Loxahatchee Groves since 1977.
“We grow it, sun-dry it, process it and pack it,” Berke said. “It’s from seed to customer. With agriculture, the only successful way to do it is with direct sales, selling to the end user.”
Photo by SunDriedProducts.com.