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market-farming - Re: greenhouse questions

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  • From: "wiediger" <wiediger AT email.msn.com>
  • To: "market farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: greenhouse questions
  • Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 08:42:24 -0600

 Good Morning!  I just finished my morning chores here on the farm and thought I would treat myself to posting my opinions on the subject of unheated greenhouses.  First off, Alison and I have been raising produce all winter long in unheated greenhouses (actually coldframes) since 1995.  And before that I had an unheated coldframe at another farm for 2 years.  So I have a few years of accumulated 2 cents worth of thoughts.
 
The first thing that I notice is everyone doing growing in frames has their own opinion on what works and what doesn't. It's all based on what has worked/not worked for them.  And most of the posting being done on this topic of greenhouse/coldframe winter production is being done by actual growers who all live in different areas of the country w/ different climates and growing conditions.
 
For those who are thinking of buying a frame and don't want to read the rest of this post - JUST GO OUT AND BUY A FRAME!!!! You will love it!  There are NO experts in this field.
 
  Sure, there are quite a few of us who are doing it and doing it successfully, but we only know what has worked/ not worked for us.  And quite honestly, I can only afford to do a little experimenting, little being a relative term.
 
YOU will become the expert in your own frame.  Use common sense.  Try test plots.  One of the first years we tried winter growing, we trialed 17 varieties of lettuce and 26 varieties of other items which we thought from reading and experience might grow through the winter.  Obviously, some grew, some didn't.  Every year we trial different things.  And now for the real kicker, after 5 winters of growing very successfully, this winter season is all different!  That's farming, folks!
 
I vividly remember attending a session on greenhouse growing held by a research farm (land grant college) here in our state back a few years ago.  The featured speaker was a horticulture professor.  An 'expert' in his field.  After the third time he said "You can't grow spinach or lettuce during the winter in a coldframe" I just had to say something.  Luckily, we had been growing spinach, lettuce and quite a few other items in our unheated frame for 3 years when he said that.  If I hadn't known any better, perhaps I would of thought it couldn't be done.  After all, an 'expert' had just said so.
 
Soooo.... for the rest of my 2 cents of advise...
 
Put up the most frame you can afford.  Don't borrow money to do it!  Research where you can get the most frame for your money.  Use the frame wisely. Plant every square foot you can reasonably plant.  Succession plant. Grow items which command a premium price. In our area, SC Kentucky, it really works well to grow early tomatoes. You should be able to bring them to market 4-5 weeks ahead of field grown. Early flowers should also work well. You should get a premium price and could capture a good part of your market share doing this and pay for the frame!
 
But most importantly, I really think there are more rewards to season extension and growing during the winter than monetary gain.  The joys of growing seem to be greater.  Perhaps it's because you can go through a door and with one step walk out of winter and into spring.  Whatever, after growing produce for 26 years, I know that I enjoy our winter and early spring production more than any other market farming enterprise on our farm. 
 
Well, after saying all that, I'd better get out there and take care of my coldframes.  We're having a warm spell and it's a good time to water.  Need to seed some more lettuce and arugula, and Alison mentioned that a mouse had eaten some zinnia seeds, so I had better set some more traps and replant.
 
Horticordially yours!
 
Paul Wiediger
Paul and Alison Wiediger
Au Naturel Farm
http://aunaturelfarm.homestead.com



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