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Poultry Processing Container Offers Refrigeration
David Schafer’s new Freeze/Chill Box for processed poultry has come a long way from the $5 poultry plucker he shared with FARM SHOW readers 25 years ago (Vol. 20, Issue 1). The latest innovation is ideal for producers who raise and direct sell 10,000 or more birds a year.
Built by a Missouri neighbor starting with good-condition, one-time-use shipping containers, the cold storage areas are a recent addition to Schafer’s Plant in a Box.
“It’s a turnkey solution that customers appreciate because it meets USDA inspection requirements,” says Schafer. The 40-ft. containers include his Featherman Equipment that allows producers to kill, scald, pluck, eviscerate and chill up to 200 birds/hour. He has offered Plant in a Box since 2012 with a chill tank. Last year, he added the Freeze/Chill Box option that ranges from -5F to 55F.
“A dedicated chilling facility or room is more efficient than water chilling,” Schafer says. Customers decide how much space in the trailer is used for the room - usually it’s 10 or 12 ft. by 7 ft., which is enough to hold up to 1,000 processed birds.
The cost of the Plant in a Box with the freeze/chill box is $120,000. Without the freeze/chill box prices start at $95,000.
“It’s plug and play so you are up and running in a couple of weeks. It’s cheaper than building, and it’s a temporary structure so you are not taxed,” Schafer says. Plus, the container can be sold and moved to another location.
Demand for birds increased dramatically in 2020, and Schafer anticipates growing interest in Plant in a Box with the help of COVID funds for businesses. He adds that customers can use them for commercial kitchens also. The poultry equipment can be removed, and stoves or other equipment brought in to make everything from bone broth to banana bread.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, David Schafer, Plant in a Box, LLC, Jamesport, Mo. (ph 660 973-4040; www.plantinabox.com; david@plantinabox.com).


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2021 - Volume #45, Issue #2