Solar Fruit Dehydrators for MicroEntrepreneurs

Dear Friends,

We are excited to share progress on our next generation solar dehydrator, a vital part of our ongoing efforts to support rural farmers and farming cooperatives in Guatemala. Our previous dehydrators have been instrumental in helping these communities provide food for their families year-round. Prior to our intervention, food was abundant only during the rainy season, with the dry season bringing severe scarcity and malnutrition, especially affecting children's growth.

Our current focus is on refining our design to reduce the time required to dry a batch of fruit to ensure it remains shelf-stable for over six months. We are meticulously adjusting several parameters including the amount of sunlight captured, the spacing of drying trays, the thickness of fruit and vegetable slices, air speed, airflow, and total drying time. This comprehensive testing is crucial to finalize a design that is both efficient and effective.

Once the design is perfected, we will deploy the first two new dehydrators to a farming cooperative we have previously collaborated with. This cooperative will assist us in gathering field data over the next two years. However, we are committed to rolling out the new dehydrators to other cooperatives as soon as possible, without waiting for the full two-year period of data collection.

Your continued support is invaluable to us as we strive to enhance food security and nutrition in these vulnerable communities. Thank you for your generosity and belief in our mission.

Warm regards,

John Barrie

Links:

• The Appropriate Technology Collaborative
• The Appropriate Technology Collaborative Facebook Page