Powder!

So, turns out I was wrong. It wasn't juice day, it was powder day. I got to the factory around 6:50. (This picture was taken at the end of the day after everyone had left)


Everyone was expecting me. I was put in Paul's crew. His crew usually has four, so I was the 5th. They were cool.


Here is a giant mixer. They use forklifts to lift the powders into the top then the whole thing spins around. It's crazy to watch.
We didn't use this today, but I was mesmerized watching it.


So we were filling bottles of pH rise, which is sodium bicarbonate, i.e. baking soda. It comes in these 2000 lb. sacks. I think they are called "super sacks." They use a forklift to hold it up in the air so it can drain out the bottom.


The first person takes the pre-printed bottles out of the big cartons and puts them on the conveyer belt.


There is a big screw that carries the stuff from the hopper on the ground to another above where the bottles are filled. The bottles are filed one at a time, then head down the belt. Needless to say, it's not the cleanest process, there was powder everywhere.


The bottles go down the belt then get to me so I can screw on the caps. There were coming pretty fast. Thankfully, whenever anyone was free for a minute, they would help me.

My dad came down and took these pics of me. How embarrassing! You would think it was like the first time I used a toilet or something.




Next the bottles are put in boxes of 12 then run through a machine that tapes the top and bottom.


Me after a long day. I helped clean up but it was so hard to breathe with the powder everywhere. We should have at least baked a cake with all that baking soda.


Even though I am tired and sore, it was a good day. I really want to get to know the workers, the facilities and the products and this is a good way of doing it. Next week I'm going to spend a day on the juice lines, then shipping after that.

I'm looking at Amy's belly now, it's really sticking out! Maybe she will let me take a picture...