How a Vista flower farm got a walk-in cooler with nothing to build

A flower grower in Vista, CA, needed a farm walk-in cooler for flower cold storage during harvest season. The permanent option, a walk-in cooler built on the farm, came with firefighter access requirements and major grading, and a quote to match. A ZSTORE 4XL gave the grower the cold room it needed, quickly and competitively, with nothing permanent to build.

The challenge

Cut flowers start losing quality the moment they are harvested. Growers need a cold room close to the field, so product can be cooled and held until it ships.

On this farm, a permanent walk-in cooler was not a simple project. Building it meant providing firefighter access and carrying out major grading on the site. Both add cost, time and paperwork, and both leave permanent works on land that is meant for growing.

The quote for the permanent build was far out of proportion to the need. The grower wanted cold storage for harvest season, not a construction project.

The solution

ZGROUP delivered a ZSTORE 4XL: four XL modules connected side by side into one open walk-in cooler. Each module is built from a refrigerated shipping container with a Thermo King refrigeration unit and adds 320 ft² of floor space, for a total of 1,280 ft².

The unit runs as a cooler for fresh storage. There was no foundation to pour and no permanent structure to permit as a building. The 4XL sits on the farm as equipment, ready for harvest.

Because the XL modules share one open space, the grower works in a single room with room to stage and move product, instead of a row of separate containers.

The results

• 1,280 ft² of floor area for harvest-season storage
• Cooler for fresh flowers
• No civil works: nothing permanent built on the farm

The grower got its cold room quickly and competitively, and kept its land free of permanent construction.

Flower cold storage: what to look for

Flowers are among the most sensitive products in the cold chain. When you compare flower cold storage options, a few points matter more than the rest.

• Temperature control. The ZGROUP cold storage line covers -40°F to +104°F (-40°C to +40°C), so the room can be set to what your varieties need.
• Humidity control. Humidity control from 50% to 95% RH is available with the ZGROUP humidifier system, derived from its ripening rooms.
• Visibility. ZTRACK remote monitoring reports temperature and alarms, so you know about a problem before it reaches your product.
• Right size. One XL module is 320 ft² and about 20 pallet positions; modules connect side by side as volumes grow.

Then there is the build question. A permanent walk-in can trigger grading, access and code requirements that have nothing to do with keeping flowers cold. Modular cold storage needs no civil works or permanent construction, only minimal site prep. Units are delivered in under 60 days and installed in 2 to 5 days.

For seasonal growers, flexibility counts too. ZSTORE XL units are available to rent or to buy, and they can be moved and reinstalled at another site.

Farm walk-in cooler: build it or bring it in?

A walk-in cooler built on a farm is a construction project: a foundation, a permitted structure and, on this site, firefighter access and major grading. A modular walk-in cooler arrives as equipment instead. ZSTORE XL modules are delivered in under 60 days and installed in 2 to 5 days, with minimal site prep, and they can be moved if the farm's layout changes.

See sizes and options on our walk-in cooler page, or more cold storage projects in California.

Is it right for your operation?

If a permanent cooler on your farm has turned into a construction project, there is another way to get cold storage. See how ZSTORE XL modular cold storage is configured, or talk to our team about your harvest and your site.