NEW EVENT! Cutting-edge Trends for Food Products at PACK EXPO Southeast
Discover all the latest packaging & processing solutions for food products at the all-new PACK EXPO Southeast in Atlanta, GA, March 10-12, 2025

Digital Sorter Helps to Overcome Workforce, Yield Issues

A Veryx B175 digital sorter from Key Technology has helped Jones Potato Farm not only move past the difficulties of manual inspection of its green beans, but has also improved efficiencies.

Jones Potato Farm produces more than 250,000 bushels of green beans a year, which go to market under the V.L. Walker and Sons brand.
Jones Potato Farm produces more than 250,000 bushels of green beans a year, which go to market under the V.L. Walker and Sons brand.
Photo courtesy of Key Technology

The U.S. agriculture industry has faced decades of declining farmworkers, both among family and hired hands. As available workers have become scarce, wages continue to rise. “The lack of available labor is a major concern for all agricultural producers right now,” notes Alan Jones, president and CEO of Jones Potato Farm. “It’s very difficult and expensive to recruit and retain 20 good workers to manually inspect our green beans, especially during our peak season when we regularly operate seven days a week.”

Along with potatoes, beans, citrus, and cattle, Jones Potato Farm in Parrish, Fla., produces more than 250,000 bushels of green beans every year. Jones needed a system to quickly and reliably sort its fresh pack green beans, which go to market under the V.L. Walker and Sons brand. Given the workforce situation, in 2020, Jones opted for Key Technology’s Veryx B175 digital sorter for its green bean line—not only reducing manual labor but also ensuring high product quality and maximizing yield.

Jones Potato Farm produces more than 250,000 bushels of green beans a year, which go to market under the V.L. Walker and Sons brand.Jones Potato Farm produces more than 250,000 bushels of green beans a year, which go to market under the V.L. Walker and Sons brand.Photo courtesy of Key Technology“While there will always be a place for great employees here in our facility, we needed a highly effective, reliable sorter to improve our operating efficiencies,” Jones says.

The farm did its due diligence before choosing the Veryx system. Jones was familiar with Key Technology’s reputation for quality equipment and service, as well as the supplier’s expertise in green bean processing, and has had positive experiences with Key in the past. “We visited one of their customer sites to see Veryx sorting green beans in person,” Jones recalls. “As soon as we saw it perform, we knew it was the right solution for us.”

Inspection from all sides

The Veryx B175 sorter at Jones Potato Farm is a belt-fed system that can process up to 15,000 lb of green beans per hour on its 1,750-mm wide inspection zone. Equipped with top- and bottom-mounted off-axis cameras, top-mounted laser sensors, and Key’s Pixel Fusion detection module, the Veryx achieves all-sided surface inspection of each green bean with no blind spots. By positioning bottom-mounted sensors, lightsources, and backgrounds away from product splatter, this system maintains its inspection performance throughout long production cycles.


INTRODUCING! The Latest Trends for Food Products at PACK EXPO Southeast
The exciting new PACK EXPO Southeast 2025 unites all vertical markets in one dynamic hub, generating more innovative answers to food packaging and processing challenges. Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity for your business!
REGISTER FOR $30!
INTRODUCING! The Latest Trends for Food Products at PACK EXPO Southeast