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Marketing High Tunnel Crops Outside the Normal Season. Ted Carey Kansas State University tcarey@ksu.edu. High Tunnels for the Central Great Plains: Profitable, season-extending horticultural production systems (2001-2005). Multiple cooperators Kansas State University
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Marketing High Tunnel Crops Outside the Normal Season Ted Carey Kansas State University tcarey@ksu.edu
High Tunnels for the Central Great Plains:Profitable, season-extending horticultural production systems (2001-2005) Multiple cooperators Kansas State University University of Missouri, Columbia University of Nebraska, Lincoln Kansas Rural Center Olathe, KS Columbia, MO Lincoln, NE Wichita, KS
Additional project activities • On-farm research • Extension programming • Web-site
An unabashed promotion of high tunnels With some words of caution • Profitable production • Practice makes perfect (with luck)
Tunnels – a tool • A part of the farm’s production cycle, complemented by open field • Crop protection • Row cover • Low tunnels • High tunnels (all sorts) • High tunnels +
California desert What is a high tunnel? No Yes? Yes? Harnois 30’ x 96’ double layer poly Eliot Coleman’s farm, Maine Leavenworth, KS
High Tunnel (hoophouse) – A poly-covered greenhouse with relatively low input for environmental control. (relatively low cost) 30’ x 96’ Gothic Zimmerman’s, Versailles, MO 30’ X 96’ Quonset with stove FarmTek Versailles, MO
Homemade tunnels are less expensiveand may have their place PVC hoophouse K-State Portable field tunnel St Isidore Farm, MO
Early spring heat retention for tomato black plastic mulch, row covers, water bags Double-layer poly
Marketing • Multiple options – produce auctions; restaurants; farmers markets; farm stand; grocery store; etc. • Selling your story; fresh, local; family farm; health, environment.
More than Season Extension • Earlier tomatoes, later tomatoes • Year-round spinach (summer - shade cloth) • Reduced disease pressure (e.g., tomatoes) • Earlier production on berry crops, and better quality • Production vs no production (e.g., bitter melon, figs, Lisianthus).
Not So Obvious Benefits of High Tunnels • Capturing early markets and holding them into to the main field production season (e.g., Ralph Cramer - cut flowers) • Using high specialty items to sell other things like fall storage vegetables.
Olathe - December, 2003Soil almost never freezes under row cover in tunnels
Summer spinach production • 39% shade • Sprinkler irrigation
Little or no field production of some crops but they produce well in high tunnels Lisianthus Bitter Melon
Successful GrowersPaul and Sandy Arnold, Argyle, NY • Sell at farmers market • Field houses (14’ x 100’) • Over winter and spring • Lettuce • $3100/house @ 1.75/ head • Spinach (leaf) • - $3500/house @ 6.75/lb (1/3 lb bags) http://www.newfarm.org/features/0503/arnoldsbuild.shtml
Developing efficient production systems Pete’s Greens, Craftsbury, VT
Haygrove stories • K-State (0.5 acre) – cane fruit, blueberries, melon, tomato, asparagus, rhubarb • Ed Weaver, Morgantown PA. (0.5 to 4 acres) – cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, tomatoes • John Cooper, Simcoe Ontario. Haygrove rep. (1 to >10 acres) – raspberries, tomatoes, strawberries
Steve Groff, Cedar Meadow FarmHoltwood, PA. Learning curve! Alex + Betsy Hitt, Peregrine FarmGraham, NC. Management!
Blueberry - planted 2005 In – 805g/5- plant plot Out – 28g/5- plant plot Patriot – 1322 g; Sierra – 1091 g; Blue Crop – 695 g; Duke – 530 g; Jersey – 383 g
Rhubarb – Canada Red In – 15.7 lb/5-plant plot Out – 4.7lb/5-plant plot Mulch effects p = 0.11 EM inoculant p = 0.94
Baby Summer Squash - Count In – 67 per plot Out – 37 per plot
Baby Summer Squash - Count 110a 73b 65bc 65bc
Come and visit any time Ted Carey, 35125 W 135th St., Olathe, KS 66061913-645-0007; tcarey@ksu.edu