Fresh to Frozen Peas

By Andrew Campbell

Having fresh vegetables right from the farm is something special throughout our Canadian summer. But summer isn’t the only time of year we want vegetables! Because of our climate, companies like Bonduelle are part of Canada’s food chain to help capture some of that year-round freshness by either canning or freezing those vegetables. On this farm tour, we visit with Dan from Bonduelle to find out how a large company works with local farmers to get vegetables planted and harvested, what’s different between various types of peas grown in Canada, as well as the conditions of a pea going into a can a soup versus a pea going into your freezer.

We are out in the fields today with Dan. What are you growing in this field?

This is a pea field.

Dan you’re a farmer, but this isn’t actually your field. As well as being a farmer, you also work with farmers? What’s your job?

My professional title is Agricultural Field Technician and I work with Bonduelle. We are the largest processor of processed vegetables in Canada. My job is essentially the middle person between area farmers and the Bonduelle company. My role is to look after a portion of the crop production.

Can you give me an idea of how that relationship works? Because Bonduelle doesn’t own this farm. The farmer isn’t the one processing the peas. How does that relationship work?

It’s a partnership. This particular grower and all of our growers, are contracted to provide the acreage to grow the crops that we require. We provide them with the seed and oversee planting, scheduling, crop monitoring, and harvest operations as well. The grower provides the land base and looks after all the seeding operations and weed control programs. We assist them and put all the logistics together to make a crop.

It must be a relationship that works as I personally know farmers that have been working with you guys for quite a few years.

We have some farmers who have worked with us for over 30 years. A fellow that just retired from my job has worked with three generations of the same family while working in this position. It’s a very long term relationship for sure.

Cool. So, let’s talk peas here. These peas, are they ready to harvest?

These peas are perfect, beautiful, sweet looking peas.

This type of peas is that you buy in a can of peas or a bag of frozen peas.

Absolutely. If you buy frozen vegetables in Canada, chances are we produce them.

You said you look after the seed, but the farmer looks after the planting. When did the farmer plant this field?

These peas were planted on the 13th of May. So today is the 10th of July. This is about a 60 day crop from planting to harvest.

Wow that’s a pretty quick crop!

Another nice thing about this crop is that it’s still early enough that there’s an opportunity to plant a second crop on this field this season. Many farmers plant early-maturing soybeans. So it’s an efficient use of land as well.

I’ll say. How do you know that today’s the day that they’re ready to harvest?

Well, I think you can see my little trail here off in the background. I was telling you earlier we have students that work with us during the summertime to help grade the field. I was actually the lucky guy that got to pre-grade this field at 5:00 AM this morning.

So your day starts by going through fields at 5:00 AM?

We like to have all the numbers early in the morning so that we can make plans for the day. This crop changes very quickly. So we need numbers and all the information that’s required to make those plans as early as possible in the morning. I’m here at 5:00 AM or my students are here at 5:00 AM. We walk into the field and you can see the little hole here, the student will come in and pick about a six by four foot area and stuff all the peas in a bag. They do that in three spots along the trail. All of those samples go and get run through a little miniature pea combine, which gets all the peas out of the pod.

All the peas come out of the pod and there are a few measurements that we take to give us an indication of how much more time the crop has left to grow and mature. That gives us an indication of how much more time we have and how quickly the crop is advancing based on various weather conditions.

What makes a good pea? What are you checking for? Because these look perfect.

These are perfect! When the peas are very young, they’re very moist. There’s lots of moisture inside the seed but as it matures it starts to become firm inside. I think you met a pea farmer a few weeks ago from Western Canada. Yes. They grow a similar crop, but those peas are left until they’re firm and dry. Essentially this is just an immature field pea, but it’s bred and grown specifically for processing at this fresh stage.

We harvest peas at different moisture levels depending on what we are using them for. For example, sometimes peas are harvested when they are quite mature so there’s a lot less moisture. Those will be used for soups that you buy at the grocery store because the soup manufacturing process requires a harder pea so that they don’t just have a mushed pea soup at the end.

What happens once the peas are dumped into the truck?

From the field the full truck goes to the processing plant immediately. Once it unloads, the peas get washed and cleaned. Sometimes little pods get in, maybe a little bit of leaf and stem; stuff that you don’t want to eat. So, the peas get washed, cleaned, blanched, and frozen.
They go into a big freezer and from there they will be packaged into a straight bag of 100% peas or into mixed vegetables. We have all kinds of different SKUs and different products, mixes and blends that are packaged throughout the rest of the year.

How long does it take to freeze the peas once harvested?

About two and a half hours from field to frozen.

That’s quick. Why so fast?

It’s a fresh crop with a short shelf life. We want it to capture that freshness as soon as possible.

Thanks for the great tour, Dan.

Watch Fresh Air Farmer Andrew Campbell’s full video here