Dole Superkids

Carrot seeds are planted in raised beds or flat rows. In cooler areas, seeds are sown in the spring while in warmer areas they are planted in fall or winter.

The part of the carrot that we eat is actually the plant’s root, which grows underground.

The color of the carrot depends on the temperature in which it is grown. To develop a perfect orange color, carrots must grow in 60 to 75 degree weather. If the temperature is hotter or colder, the carrot will be a lighter color.

Carrots are ready to be harvested 50–85 days after planting. Carrots that will be sold fresh are picked earlier than carrots used for freezing or canning.

A harvester machine cuts their tops off, and then lifts the roots out of the ground.

This is a harvester machine. The front has digger blades in the ground that lift the carrots to a chain belt in the back.

Once the carrots are on the first chain belt, they are shaken and the loose dirt falls back to the ground.

Then the carrots go to the second belt. This one has metal fingers that help to break up any bigger dirt clumps or debris that are stuck to the carrots.

Finally, the carrots are moved to a truck to be hauled to a shed for washing, sorting by size, and packing.

For the fresh market, carrots are picked by hand with their green, feathery tops. They are bundled together with about 12 to a bunch and sent to a packaging house to be washed and ready for shipping.

Imperator and Chantenay carrots are used to create baby carrots. After harvest, they are cut into 2-inch segments called “slugs” and then held in plastic-lined bins. Finally, the “slugs” are peeled and shaped into the yummy cut carrots we like to munch on!

Carrots that will be used for canning or other processing are harvested in the same way, but they are picked when they are more mature. After harvesting, they are washed and sorted, and loaded into palletized boxes or packaged for bulk storage. Then it’s off to the processing company!