New guide + webinar series: Choosing a high tunnel for your farm
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu
High tunnels have become increasingly important for Minnesota specialty crop growers for season extension and to provide protection from unpredictable climate conditions. However, there is no single “standard” high tunnel. We've developed a new step-by-step illustrated guide to help determine which high tunnel is right for your farm, and how to customize it to meet your needs.
This guide emerged from a series of community high tunnel builds this fall led by Renewing the Countryside, with Andrew Hanson-Pierre of Clover Bee Farm as our high tunnel construction expert. We worked with growers in Northfield and Rochester to build two high tunnels and train a network of farmers to develop the skills needed to build high tunnels. We learned a lot in the process, and we're excited to share it more widely with this guide.
Read or download the guide here.
This winter, we'll be hosting two high tunnel webinars to accompany the new guide:
Webinar 1: January 17, 2024, 5:30pm: Selecting a high tunnel for your farm
High tunnels can be a great addition to a farm, but there is no such thing as a single standard high tunnel. How do you know what size and type of high tunnel is right for you? And once you decide, how will you plan to build and customize your tunnel? This webinar will cover high tunnel selection, funding, and construction. It will be taught by Natalie Hoidal from University of Minnesota Extension and Andrew Hanson-Pierre from Clover Bee Farm.
Webinar 2: January 24, 2024, 5:30pm: Planning for high tunnel success
You're planning to build a high tunnel. Now what? In this webinar, we'll talk about choosing what to grow in your tunnel, and avoiding common hgh tunnel problems such as soil pH issues, disease, and soil moisture. It will be taught by Natalie Hoidal from University of Minnesota Extension and Erik Heimark, Farm Business Management instructor at Central Lakes College.
Register here for the webinars. Simultaneous interpretation will be available in Spanish, Hmong, and other languages upon request.
