Modesta keeps Blue Sky Onions dust-free throughout intake, grading and packing

Blue Sky Onions, based in Royal City, Washington, is a family-owned American company that has been growing and packing onions for the retail and foodservice markets since the 1970s. In addition to onions, the company produces potatoes, apples, cherries, peas, corn, and wheat. Owner Jake Wardenaar, who has Dutch roots, oversees the company’s onion operations, including grading, packing, sales, and strategic investments. Guided by a clear long-term vision, he chose to modernize the processing facility on a large scale.

As part of this project, Modesta designed and installed a complete dust collection system for the entire production line—from product intake and optical sorting to weighing and packing. Dust, onion tops, and skins are captured directly at the source at as many emission points as possible, which is a key part of Modesta's active cleaning strategy.

The waste handling system was also completely redesigned. Existing waste conveyors beneath the onion toppers were replaced with scraper conveyors. The waste is then transported through a fully enclosed system to two compactor containers, keeping both the production area and the surrounding environment clean, safe, and healthy.

In addition, Modesta equipped the optical sorting line’s camera boxes with a clean-air positive-pressure system. This prevents dust from settling on the cameras, ensuring reliable machine performance and consistent product quality.

The dust extraction system is powered by two Modesta dust collectors with belts. “Blue Sky Onions had a clear objective: a complete, well-engineered solution that captures dust and waste directly at the source wherever possible,” says Sjoerd van Diepen, Technical Sales Advisor Agro at Modesta, who led the project. “Together, we designed a system that continues to perform to their full satisfaction today.”