HIGH TUNNEL WORKSHOP DREW LARGE CROWD

(01/27/2010)
Submitted by Robin Wilson, AmeriCorps VISTA

Last Sunday’s workshop hosted by the Berea Gardens Agriculture Center located at the old Minnora School in Calhoun County brought together approximately 70 market growers and home gardeners for an exciting afternoon of information and opportunities
.
WVU Extension Agent, Brandy Brabham explained how to construct and use high tunnel structures for season extension. Brabham presented a series of slides from Dr. Lewis Jett, WVU Extension Commercial Horticulture Specialist and a national expert on high tunnels.
Sam Sheets and Matt Murphy from the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) explained a golden opportunity for local farmers to cost-share on the construction of high tunnel structures to produce more crops through one of their government programs, Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP).

Bob Gregory, who along with his wife Lynnita, owner of Berea Gardens, shared his experiences with using high tunnels to extend the season for a variety of produce, container flowers, and cut flowers, while serving as a professor at a college in Virginia. Gregory briefly discussed his experience with managing multi-million dollar greenhouses for the cut flower industry in California and consulting work in other countries that illustrated his mastery of horticulture. The presentations were followed by a guided tour of the all season unheated high tunnel structures at Berea Gardens.


High tunnels erected at Berea Gardens Agriculture
Center, located at the former Minnora School
High Tunnel growing structures have the advantage of free solar heat, which extends the growing season. With High Tunnels, five to seven crops per year can be grown on the same piece of land. Using these structures, growers can bring crops to market in the off-season for maximum returns. The system works best with nature, by focusing on cold-hardy crops in the winter, and then providing more ideal temperatures and moisture levels for summer crops using proper irrigation and ventilation. These structures allow for growing more food in our climate zone, which limits the need to for shipping foods over long distances, thus allowing for a cleaner environment. If more producers grow food to market, there is the potential to create more local jobs as well.

NRCS funding is offered as a pilot program to encourage growers to experiment with using high tunnels. The funding opportunity is part of a national effort to connect farmers with families, schools and restaurants called the Getting to Know Your Farmer Initiative.
Growers who receive funding through this program will be expected to keep records on production, sales and environmental impact. The cost-share ranges from $3.30 per to $5.63 per square foot.

Applications for this year are due by Friday, January 30, 2010. Applicants are ranked and notified by March. For those who don’t apply this year there will be opportunity to apply next year, because it is a three-year program. To apply, Roane County residents need to contact the USDA/NRCS at 304-927-1022 or stop by their office located in parking plaza across from Pizza Hut in Spencer.

Interested people from Calhoun County, the first step is to contact the USDA’s Farm Service Agency at 304-462-7171 to determine if you are eligible, and then contact the NRCS office in Spencer.

For assistance on site selection, construction designs, or supplier contacts for these high tunnel structures, growers should contact the WVU-Extension Service in Calhoun County at 304-354-6332 or in Roane County at 304-927-0975 for more information.