Extend Your Season!

Season Extension in the Midwest was created as a place for farmers to go and learn about the many new and exciting growing opportunities in season extension.

You will find everything from articles by the leading names in organics and high tunnel growers to the latest events, conferences and workshops along with pictures and stories about farmers who are currently using season extension in their growing operation.

If you have any resources, ideas, links or pictures to add and share, please do not hesitate to contact us at angie@mosesorganic.org

This website was made possible through funding from Sow the Seeds / Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, in cooperation with Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) and Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA).


News

April 2012 - New Resources for Rainwater Catchment Systems for High Tunnel Irrigation
A potential problem for Iowa fruit and vegetable growers can be turned into a liquid asset, thanks to a one-year research project conducted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and funded by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Click here to see full news release.

News Release - Thinking about High Tunnels?
Growers May Be Eligible for Planning and Financial Assistance through NRCS. Click here to download the news release.

Extending the Growing Season Workshop
At the Extending the Growing Season Workshop, held Thursday, April 7 at SWROC, 100 people learned about low-input methods of growing produce. Download presentations from the workshop (including irrigation basics, intercropping and more) on the SWROC website for free!

Revised High Tunnel Production Manual for Commercial Growers
The 2010 Revised Edition of the manual is now available on the UM High Tunnels website. Hard copies are not available at this time. Information about availability of hard copies will be updated on the site. Also, UM High Tunnels is on Facebook. Follow us for up to date information, events and discussions about high tunnels.

Short video on USDA High Tunnels with Dep. Sec. Merrigan and White House Chef Sam Kass

Additional online resources available to compliment past high tunnel pest management webinar series and cover crops webinar series from the Great Lakes Vegetable Work Group website. Plus check out this article from the U of M extension site,"Cover Cropping to Suppress Weeds in Northeast US Farming Systems."

Hoophouses Increase Farm Income - November 23, 2010, USDA Farm Blog - "...Hoophouses just might be the answer to extending the growing season and increasing growers’ incomes. With funding from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), professors at Michigan State University (MSU) are studying hoophouses and teaching farmers to use them to extend the farming season...more.

Hands-on High Tunnel Workshop in Eau Claire enjoys large turn-out
Over 25 enthusiastic registrants and a dozen Chippewa Valley Technical College horticulture students received valuable hands-on experience at a High Tunnel Building Workshop at Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on May 4th and 5th, 2010.

Participants in the two day workshop built a 30 X 48 ft high tunnel and learned about extended-season vegetable production, soil fertility, equipment and marketing.

Adam Montri, horticulture outreach specialist at Michigan State University, was the instructor and crew boss. Montri did an outstanding job of keeping participants on task and making the job fun, interesting and informative. Check out the videos below from the event.


    

    

Learn more about hoophouse construction on The Hoophouse Blog by Adam Montri.

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has been authorized to fund hoophouses on farms in 38 states, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.
Read about this new initiative in this news release from the NRCS.

Read further description of the types of eligible hoophouses in this
NRCS Fact Sheet (PDF, 108 kb).