The USDA offers a Free High Tunnel Initiative that piqued my interest at the end of 2024. I enrolled in an intermediate Cornell Small Farms course to learn more.
Now we need to get them to do a similar program for the smaller guys. Let's see some funding go into getting people set up with https://growingspaces.com/ -- longer lifespan and easier maintenance. Automatic ventilation with solar panel fans and beezwax hinges.
thank you for this update..temperature rated floating row covers are also used to extend one’s growing seasons and methinks more compatible for crop rotation;winter cover crops which augments soil
health only within reason within this changing world…
a key comment you provided is a disturbing use overfertilaton which ruins soils micro biomes
sometimes there is more merit in thinking small and more compatible alternatives as you accommodate and work out issues
We use row covers on our raised beds that are outside, with the same success of extending our growing season that the high tunnels provide.. last fall i was growing my third crop of string beans in early November here in Maine. This is a real cheap way to get the same type environment as the HT without the huge infrastructure and provide mobility.. we used fiberglass poles that are usually used for mobile cattle fencing that I got cheap as our bows. Plenty of cheaper options out there that work well.
We have two high tunnels: 1: 75’x 22’ that we installed last fall, double plastic (cost for plastic was 600.00 total). We have another 17x24’ that we installed 6 years ago (single plastic, roll up sides). I built additions on both ends of them last fall to add additional space for seedlings and a raspberry/ strawberry area. Maintenance on these is minimal, we live in NW Maine so snow is a factor when placing these tunnels, I have them setup so i can snow-blow along the sides of them if I need to but this winter I didn’t do that and we have had over 4’ of snow so far this year. My wife is 5’1 and 110lbs soaking wet with rocks in her pockets and has no issues rolling up the sides on the 17x24’ high tunnel, so don’t get discouraged thinking you can’t handle it.. you’ll be fine. Our double wall doesn’t have roll up sides so nothing to lift there. Without our high tunnels our food production would be very limited due to the poor rocky soil at our location, we built our farm from scratch in an area that has more gravel pits than fields. We also built raised beds in the high tunnels due to soil issues which has been a game changer. You’re right about every farm being different. NRCS tried getting us to buy a 100’ high tunnel to start off 6 years ago.. we resisted them and went with the 17x24’ one which was around 3900, no bells or whistles.. bare bones and i built the sidewalls myself.. and we cut our teeth on that one figuring out how to grow in it. The 75’x22’ HT was given to us by a fellow Christian farmer so we only have 1k in it.. recommend looking around your area to see if there are anyone looking to get rid of theres for free or cheap. Our HT project is here:
There are issues with high tunnels with growing produce in the same location every year. Disease pressure builds up. The ones I have observed the plants are grown in the soil that the high tunnels cover and not in raised beds.
This was such a clear-eyed, practical breakdown—thank you for sharing what you’re learning in real-time. I love how you’re approaching all this with both vision and realism. There’s something powerful about hearing, “this might not be for me, and that’s okay,” especially in a space where so many people push “scale or bust.” Your transparency is a gift—especially to other solo farmers trying to do this with integrity and intention. Keep sharing what you learn in the course… these field notes matter.
I have made several of these. Simple 2x4's, hog ring pliers to connect the panels and a tarp for chickens or plastic for greenhouse. Cattle panels can be found on FB market place or a farm supply store. I haunt homedepot and every once in a while they have a 70% off on all kinds of lumber, its stuff others would not buy. It maybe crooked, have a big knot - its reject but it works for stuff like this. You can make as long as you want by adding 2x4's to length and a panel. Around $100.00 and with two people a few hours.
I volunteer for a local food Bank in their high tunnels. The brief intro I received is the inside temp is +30-40 degrees under sunlight and about +10 degrees at night. If it's gonna get much colder add row covers. So you need to be keenly aware of daily temperatures. Some are manually opened, others are electrical. Sometimes just opening end doors can help a lot.. As for the soil, it's not really tilled. The paths between the rows will be compacted and that's quite ok... don't step on the planting soil, let it breath so to speak. We weed everywhere between major replanting, so the idea to put weed fabric against the side rows seems to be an excellent idea. As for the weeding, we use stirrup hues, colinear hoes and Japanese weed sickles along with buckets and pads to sit on.....remove the weeds, not the soil. Creates a lotta organic materials for composting. And if course you'll want to install an appropriate irrigation system.
Thank you!
Now we need to get them to do a similar program for the smaller guys. Let's see some funding go into getting people set up with https://growingspaces.com/ -- longer lifespan and easier maintenance. Automatic ventilation with solar panel fans and beezwax hinges.
thank you for this update..temperature rated floating row covers are also used to extend one’s growing seasons and methinks more compatible for crop rotation;winter cover crops which augments soil
health only within reason within this changing world…
a key comment you provided is a disturbing use overfertilaton which ruins soils micro biomes
sometimes there is more merit in thinking small and more compatible alternatives as you accommodate and work out issues
We use row covers on our raised beds that are outside, with the same success of extending our growing season that the high tunnels provide.. last fall i was growing my third crop of string beans in early November here in Maine. This is a real cheap way to get the same type environment as the HT without the huge infrastructure and provide mobility.. we used fiberglass poles that are usually used for mobile cattle fencing that I got cheap as our bows. Plenty of cheaper options out there that work well.
I personally, wouldn't get one, for all the reasons you mentioned.
We have two high tunnels: 1: 75’x 22’ that we installed last fall, double plastic (cost for plastic was 600.00 total). We have another 17x24’ that we installed 6 years ago (single plastic, roll up sides). I built additions on both ends of them last fall to add additional space for seedlings and a raspberry/ strawberry area. Maintenance on these is minimal, we live in NW Maine so snow is a factor when placing these tunnels, I have them setup so i can snow-blow along the sides of them if I need to but this winter I didn’t do that and we have had over 4’ of snow so far this year. My wife is 5’1 and 110lbs soaking wet with rocks in her pockets and has no issues rolling up the sides on the 17x24’ high tunnel, so don’t get discouraged thinking you can’t handle it.. you’ll be fine. Our double wall doesn’t have roll up sides so nothing to lift there. Without our high tunnels our food production would be very limited due to the poor rocky soil at our location, we built our farm from scratch in an area that has more gravel pits than fields. We also built raised beds in the high tunnels due to soil issues which has been a game changer. You’re right about every farm being different. NRCS tried getting us to buy a 100’ high tunnel to start off 6 years ago.. we resisted them and went with the 17x24’ one which was around 3900, no bells or whistles.. bare bones and i built the sidewalls myself.. and we cut our teeth on that one figuring out how to grow in it. The 75’x22’ HT was given to us by a fellow Christian farmer so we only have 1k in it.. recommend looking around your area to see if there are anyone looking to get rid of theres for free or cheap. Our HT project is here:
https://www.fullarmorfarm.com/high-tunnel
Great information, but probably a bit much for a 77 year old to handle. Thank you!
Awesome Information!
So many thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge ⭐️🙏⭐️
There are issues with high tunnels with growing produce in the same location every year. Disease pressure builds up. The ones I have observed the plants are grown in the soil that the high tunnels cover and not in raised beds.
We just rotate what crops we grow in the high tunnels, and use cover crops. We’ve had no issues with disease.
What do use for cover crops
Clover, peas, some mixed green manure type crops that you till in.. depends on what you’re trying to fix.
What part of the country are you in
Nice
This was such a clear-eyed, practical breakdown—thank you for sharing what you’re learning in real-time. I love how you’re approaching all this with both vision and realism. There’s something powerful about hearing, “this might not be for me, and that’s okay,” especially in a space where so many people push “scale or bust.” Your transparency is a gift—especially to other solo farmers trying to do this with integrity and intention. Keep sharing what you learn in the course… these field notes matter.
https://gab.com/Mich_Fit/posts/114110184139546022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soaLdSi4Nww
I have made several of these. Simple 2x4's, hog ring pliers to connect the panels and a tarp for chickens or plastic for greenhouse. Cattle panels can be found on FB market place or a farm supply store. I haunt homedepot and every once in a while they have a 70% off on all kinds of lumber, its stuff others would not buy. It maybe crooked, have a big knot - its reject but it works for stuff like this. You can make as long as you want by adding 2x4's to length and a panel. Around $100.00 and with two people a few hours.
I volunteer for a local food Bank in their high tunnels. The brief intro I received is the inside temp is +30-40 degrees under sunlight and about +10 degrees at night. If it's gonna get much colder add row covers. So you need to be keenly aware of daily temperatures. Some are manually opened, others are electrical. Sometimes just opening end doors can help a lot.. As for the soil, it's not really tilled. The paths between the rows will be compacted and that's quite ok... don't step on the planting soil, let it breath so to speak. We weed everywhere between major replanting, so the idea to put weed fabric against the side rows seems to be an excellent idea. As for the weeding, we use stirrup hues, colinear hoes and Japanese weed sickles along with buckets and pads to sit on.....remove the weeds, not the soil. Creates a lotta organic materials for composting. And if course you'll want to install an appropriate irrigation system.
It’s definitely more than one person can manage. It’s more like a minimum 3 person job