Solar Fruit Dehydrators for MicroEntrepreneurs

Project Report | June 3, 2026
From Better Drying to New Opportunity
By John Bottenberg | Acting Executive Director, ATC

Dear Friend of ATC,

Thank you for supporting Solar Fruit Dehydrators for MicroEntrepreneurs. Your support is helping ATC move this work from design and field testing toward practical tools that can strengthen food preservation, income generation, and local production in rural Guatemala.

Since our last update, the third-generation solar dehydrators at the farm cooperative in San Lucas Tolimán continue to perform well under regular use. The improved design provides higher heat, faster drying times, greater capacity, and better product protection.

The earlier field feedback remains encouraging. By replacing acrylic with glass, the units retain heat more effectively and dry products much faster. Oregano that previously took about four days can now dry in about two days. Banana slices that could take up to a week can now dry in about two and a half days.

The updated design also includes better sealing and a stronger locking mechanism, helping prevent insects from entering the drying chamber and improving product quality. The larger units also give farmers more tray space, allowing them to process more product at one time.

A New Opportunity: Malanga

Because the Phase 3 design provides higher heat and faster drying times, the farm cooperative has discovered that the dehydrators can be used for more than fruits, vegetables, and spices.

The cooperative has now started drying malanga, also known as taro. Malanga is a starchy daily-use root crop that is typically sold in larger bulk quantities than spices. Because it can be produced and sold at higher volume, malanga may offer stronger income potential for the cooperative if processing can be made more efficient.

This is an important shift. The drying process itself is now working well. As often happens in practical field work, once one constraint is improved, the next bottleneck becomes visible.

The New Bottleneck: Grinding

As drying capacity has improved, the next challenge is post-processing. Dried malanga still needs to be ground by hand before it can be packaged and sold. This takes significant time and limits how much finished product the cooperative can prepare.

ATC is now evaluating whether a better grinding solution could help the cooperative take fuller advantage of the improved dehydrator design.

This is the kind of learning that matters: design, test, use, listen, and improve. The farmers are showing us where the technology works well and where the next practical improvement is needed.

Looking Ahead

ATC is continuing work toward finalizing and open-sourcing the Phase 3 dehydrator drawings so that other communities can build, adapt, and scale the improved design.

We are also looking at ways to work with local carpenters to reduce fabrication costs and strengthen local ownership of the technology. The long-term goal is not only to build better dehydrators, but to make them easier to reproduce locally and more useful for the families and cooperatives who depend on them.

Thank you for helping small farmers turn sunlight into practical opportunity. Your support is helping transform a successful field-tested design into a more scalable tool for nutrition, income, and community resilience.

With gratitude,

John Bottenberg
Acting Executive Director
The Appropriate Technology Collaborative

Links:

The Appropriate Technology Collaborative
https://www.apptechcollaborative.org/

Solar Fruit Dehydrators for MicroEntrepreneurs on GlobalGiving
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/solar-fruit-dehydrators-for-microentrepreneurs/