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  • From: "BarbaraJ" <jbmckillip AT mesanetworks.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Well, it just happened...
  • Date: Tue, 9 Feb 2010 10:58:04 -0700

Daniel,
You experiences could really help some of us newer tunnel growers. I have the round shaped hoops, I'd love to see any pictures you have of bracing that you might recommend. Do you have a website with photos? For instance, I have a regular Farm-Tek high tunnel, 26x48x12. I have no further bracing other than the end walls that we built. I'm concerned about those heavy, wet, spring snows. I'm listening to any advice you might have.

Barb
Front Range, Colorado
----- Original Message ----- From: "Daniel Botkin" <dbotkin AT valinet.com>
To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 9:53 AM
Subject: [Market-farming] Well, it just happened...


<From: Leigh Hauter <bullrunfarm AT hughes.net>
<Subject: [Market-farming] hoophouses and snow
<Well, it just happened and I'm sick to my stomach.
< I never thought, living here in Virginia, that I would had to worry
<about the weight of snow on my hoops or greenhouse.

Soooo sorry, Leigh -- and for anyone who's lost a greenhouse to snow/ice
load. I'm a late convert to hoophouse culture but now a fanatic! I've
noticed time and again here in Southern New England that Snow Load is THE
elephant in the living room for so many well-meaning newcomers and ambitious
backyard farmers with their newly erected greenhouses. Two years ago, after
a particularly wet and heavy Feb. snow (here in W. Mass.), I counted five
(5) downed hoophouses in a thirty radius of our home near Amherst. Made you
want to weep.
Today I teach basic workshops on building and managing lo-input winter
tunnels. I always preach the absolute importance of bracing and extra
interior support, especially for the quonset (round) shaped ones. Even with
bracing I habitually rake down excess snow load. Good exercise, it is! And
good policy for light. I often refer to the gruesome photos of downed
hoophouses on the Hightunnels website to reinforce my preaching. I also
collect said gruesome photos of weather-destroyed hoophouses and will
collate into a graphic warning to post on our website someday. Send em if
you can.

Daniel Botkin
www.laughingdogfarm.com

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