Tag Archives: Rick Zapata

Bon voyage, Rick!

Posted on by

After forty-two years at Pine Island Cranberry, Rick Zapata is taking a well-earned retirement!

1801199_10152484353735983_4237366015878343363_o

During his time here, Rick has done a little bit of everything, and he’s always done it well. He started out as a seasonal employee but quickly moved up to full-time, and he’s been crucial to our operation ever since. “Rick’s like the utility player of the farm,” says Manager of Operations Matt Giberson. “There’s nothing he can’t do, and he always does a good job with whatever it is. After 42 years on the farm, you just pick up everything.” Ever since Matt came on board, he’s made sure to seek out advice from Rick, as well. “I always make it a point to go to Rick, and the other guys who have been here forever, and ask them how they would go about things, because they’ve done it all . . .and it’s always good to have those guys to back you up!”

Sim-Place---Bill-and-Ricky

Rick was a long-time picking crew leader and our very first operator trained on the Gates Harrow. He’s always embraced new technology, right down to wearing a GoPro to demonstrate how the new machinery worked.

GoPro Gates Harrow from Pine Island Cranberry on Vimeo.

“I’ve worked with Rick since we were both about 18 or 19 years old,” says CEO Bill Haines. “He’s always been an important member of the Pine Island team: he’s smart, he’s reliable, he’s an excellent operator. He was a key part of the blueberry operation when we were in the blueberry business. He’s a guy you can plug in anywhere and he would get the job done, and we’re going to miss him.”

Picking-Crew-009

Thanks, Rick, for everything you’ve done for us. We’re so glad you were here, and wish you the best for a happy, relaxing retirement!

Ditching 2016

Posted on by

Every year after the winter flood comes off the bogs, our team begins cleaning ditches. Ditching is important for two reasons. First, it helps maintain the proper moisture level in the soil. Second, and most importantly, removing water from the bogs quickly is urgent in case of a big rain event. The process is simple–the machine moves along the water line, removing the debris that has accumulated over the winter and placing it along the dam–but in the past has been time-consuming.

We have, however, recently acquired some new equipment to help streamline the process. “We lost the engine in the excavator that had the big ditcher on it at kind of a critical time,” COO Bryan vonHahmann explains. “But just recently we bought another arm mower with a longer reach that can go down 25 feet rather than 20. So we were able to just purchase another attachment; now we just take the mower off and put the ditcher on that arm. That makes it a lot easier to get to everything.”

“Not only does it save us some time,” says Matt Giberson, “but since it’s narrower, it doesn’t tear up the vines as much. And that also means the operator can see obstacles such as irrigation lines and underdrain much more easily, which means it frees a team member to be elsewhere, since they don’t have to act as a guide.”

Long-time team member Rick Zapata is running the show again this year. “I’ve only been at it for about a week, but it moves fast,” he says. “It’s a little different this year; usually it goes in a particular order, but this year I’m skipping around to different sections.” He emphasizes the need to be careful of the irrigation systems. “You have to look at the pump house and figure out the layout. I know where most of them are by now, but a new guy will take a little longer. There’s a lot to keep track of: the pipes, the pole, the wires. But the machine works great. It gets a lot of the dirt and the obstruction and just keeps moving.”

“The only thing we have to do is come back around where the underdrain is and clear out those spots underneath,” Matt says. “We had to put off the project due to the weather, but now that we’re catching up, Rick is moving really fast.”

Rick Zapata

Posted on by

The Saturday after Christmas, another team member hit a huge milestone; Rick Zapata has now been working full-time with Pine Island Cranberry for forty years! During his time here, Rick has done a little bit of everything, and he’s always done it well.

“He was here for seasonal work at first,” says GM Fred Torres, who is also Rick’s brother-in-law. “I saw him when we were both down in Puerto Rico; I stayed longer than I was supposed to, and when I came back, Rick was here full-time and he’s been here ever since!” CEO Bill Haines has also worked with Rick since they were both teenagers: “Our first job together was spraying for dodder. He’s always been a bright guy; he’s very smart, very dedicated, and he always tries to do the job right, no matter what it is.” Both Bill and Fred also had high praise for his work during blueberry season back when Pine Island harvested those, as well. “He was our key guy in the field, in terms of managing the folks doing the harvesting,” Bill says.

Rick Zapata

“When you give him a job, he’s going to figure out the best way to do it,” Fred says. An excellent operator, Rick knows how to run every piece of equipment on the place, and what he doesn’t know, he’ll learn. “He’s always thinking,” Bill says. “And he’s never afraid to ask ‘why?'” When you challenge Rick, he will rise to the challenge. He also won’t shy away from new technology: when we started to run the new Gates Harrow, Rick quickly became the primary driver and was excited to wear the GoPro to show how the machine worked:

GoPro Gates Harrow from Pine Island Cranberry on Vimeo.

“He’s a pretty quiet guy, Rick is,” Fred says. “But he’s proud of his work; he’s proud of the farm and loves what he does. He’ll go home and tell his wife everything that goes on, how new equipment works, all of it.” And that goes both ways: “He’s a great employee, and we’re proud to have him,” Bill says. “I can’t believe it’s been forty years.”

Thanks, Rick, for everything you have done and for everything you continue to do. We say it a lot around here, but Rick genuinely embodies our core values of doing whatever it takes to help make this place better every day, and we’re glad he’s here!

Gates Harrow

Posted on by

We mentioned a few weeks ago that our equipment team was working on a new machine for our harvest season. The Gates Harrow is the latest addition to our equipment program and everyone is very excited to try it come harvest time. “It’s much less labor intensive,” said manager Louis Cantafio at the time. “We typically run a six man picking crew and their target is about 12.5 acres per day. On a more level set of bogs, they can do more than that, but with a Gates Harrow we’ve seen a two-man crew get through 40 acres. It’s a lot more efficient.”

The Gates Harrow is a simple machine set up to cover more ground. At the front is a rod which holds vines down to the ground; as the tractor moves forward, the berries pop off the stems and roll up over the tines on the rake.

It’s not as hard on the plants as our usual method, and our renovation program is geared for increased efficiency by being user-friendly for equipment like this. Team supervisor Jeremy Fenstermaker thinks there are several advantages to the new equipment: “The biggest advantage is labor. It also picks a lot cleaner; it knocks almost everything off the vines. With the standard reels you’ll still find some berries left here and there. There’s also some fuel savings with just one tractor running.” While the machine uses less water for picking than the reels, the bogs still require additonal flooding for gathering, which is still done in the usual way. “Adding water isn’t a problem,” Jeremy says. “If you figure out timing it works out fine. As long as Rick [Zapata] is ahead it’s not that big a deal.” Another advantage: “The fruit is ‘cleaner’ as far as debris: fewer weeds, vines, twigs, all that kind of thing. Which means Mike can get fruit out faster at the packing house because his crew can process it faster.”

CEO Bill Haines is pleased with how things are turning out: “It’s been a steep learning curve, but I’m encouraged by the outcome,” he says. “Jeremy, Rick, and Mickey [Mercado] have done a great job learning the best way to use it. Every day is going a little better; I’m very pleased with the results.”

Interested in seeing the machine in action up close? Watch as team leader Rick Zapata takes us on a brief tour around the bog:

GoPro Gates Harrow from Pine Island Cranberry on Vimeo.

Water Harvesting

Posted on by

Everyone is familiar with the sight of cranberry bogs in the fall; people remain fascinated by the spectacle. It is always one of the most poetic descriptions in a newspaper or blog story. But the reality is much more complex; running a picking crew is a carefully choreographed dance that requires both strength and skill to manage.

Rick Zapata, our Green Team crew leader, has been running a picking crew for years. “There’s a lot to think about,” he says. “It’s not as easy as just putting the machines in the water.” There’s a method to it in order to keep from damaging the fruit or the vines. The difficulty fluctuates slightly due to bog size, weeds, and terrain, as well as other variables such as water levels, crop size, and even berry variety, as newer varieties typically have a greater yield. Rick also points out that some berries do not float to the surface as easily and remain under the vine canopy, which is why they stagger machines in the water in order to both maximize yield and minimize damage to the vines.

Each bog is picked in a specific pattern according to terrain, and the picking crew has to carefully move their harvesters around stakes which have been arranged by the team leader for maximum operational efficiency. Following this pattern allows for minimal damage to the vines. Rick also needs to stay ahead of his crew and check for ditches, for everyone’s safety. “It’s easier on newer bogs; they’re more uniform,” he says. “But after a while you get to know your own section and you understand how it goes.”

The picking crew leaders are also tasked with making sure the machines have enough fuel. The machines usually hold enough fuel for about four hours of picking, so the crew leader needs to make sure that their crew has an adequate supply to maintain their harvesters.

The basic process actually is fairly simple: water reels, or “beaters” are used to stir up the water in the bogs. The berries are dislodged, or “knocked”, from the vines and float to the surface of the water. The machines are slowly rolled into the water and the wheels are lined up against each other, but not in a straight line. Initially, Rick will walk the bog ahead of the edge harvester, which is smaller and lighter than the other harvesting machines in order to maneuver more easily near the ditches. In this particular bog (Champion B, a 6.5 acre bog planted with Early Blacks), the bog is divided into sections outlined by the irrigation ditches, and the picking crew will complete picking each section before they move on to the next.

Teamwork is important while in the middle of the bog. Rick has been working with the same picking team for about three or four years, and they all know what they need to do when they need to do it. “If I have to get out of the bog for any reason at all, I can trust any one of them to take the lead until I get back,” Rick says. For instance, he turned the reins over to Jose Hernandez-Vargas, asking him to lead the crew around the section while he stepped out to remove the ramps from the entry point and bring them over to the unpicked section to make it easier to cross the ditch. The crew didn’t miss a beat!

Our team works in all kinds of weather, rain or shine. The only thing to get them out of the water is lightning. And if the picking crew gets ahead of the gathering crew, they’ll take care of some of the odd jobs such as staking, removing sprinklers, or cleaning out the leaves from finished bogs…as always, doing whatever it takes to make Pine Island Cranberry the best at what we do!

Ditching

Posted on by

We’ve talked before about how crucial good water management is for a successful cranberry operation. One of the most important tasks for irrigation and water management is ditching. The ditches surrounding every bog must be kept free of debris in order to ensure adequate water flow for both flooding and drainage.

First, a crew goes out to clear by hand; this is to make sure that the area around the actual irrigation pipes are cleared and visible. It’s easier to prevent damage than it is to repair it.

Alejandro Colon

Then, someone does the really heavy lifting with a machine. Pictured here is Rick Zapata, a Pine Island foreman who has been a part of our team for almost 38 years.

Rick Zapata

In general, the practice is simple but time-consuming. The machine moves slowly along the water line, removing the debris that has accumulated over the winter and placing it along the dam.

The debris will eventually be removed with a front-end loader.

Cleaning the ditches is important for two reasons. First, it helps maintain the proper moisture level in the soil. Second, and most importantly, removing water from the bogs quickly is urgent in case of a big rain event. Its importance was never more evident than last year, during the heavy rains of Hurricane Irene. Thanks to upholding Pine Island Cranberry’s core values of doing what we need to do when we need to do it and caring for the place where we live, work, and grow, we lessened the impact of the hurricane. Proper attention to detail by dedicated team members like Rick ensures that those core values are lived and not just hollow words.