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  • From: "Shoemaker, William H" <wshoemak AT illinois.edu>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Hi Tunnel Ideas? more than innovations...
  • Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2016 13:15:39 +0000

Thanks Richard. I really hope you're not late to your funeral,..or early either!! ":>)      Like you, my grandparents gardened well into their 80's. To me, it's living the fullness of life.

Great ideas from people on this list. What a wealth of knowledge and experience!

Bill

William H. Shoemaker

Retired fruit and vegetable horticulturist

University of Illinois

wshoemak AT illinois.edu


From: Market-farming [market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] on behalf of Richard Moyer [ramoyer AT gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, January 18, 2016 11:21 PM
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Hi Tunnel Ideas? more than innovations...

Bill,
Good to hear from you again.  We've had a high tunnel 7 years now.  Mix of ideas below:
Best books for HT ideas, in my opinion, are "Walking to Spring" by the Wiedigers.  And Eliot Coleman's "Winter Harvest Manual" and "Four Season Harvest".  Lots of good ideas in each of these.  Pam Dawling has good info on this topic in some chapters.

Instead of trying to be first at our market, we try to be last with a number of 'summer' crops.  (I'll be late to my funeral.)  Can earn more on late veggies after market gluts are over.  
Allows a 'cool house' management in the late winter and spring, growing crops that don't mind hard freezes in March or April.  Also allows time off for a spell in the summer, if desired.

Spinach and strawberries are two crops which grow and sell well in our HT, in the spring.  Can really pack cabbage in tight, and make lots of sourkraut.

As Ken noted, can produce copious, beautiful seed in a small place, very robust flower stalks and seed set, though roll/up down sides may help with pollination.

A place to sit, soaking in the winter sun, good for my soul.  Wood chip paths work well for this.
Don't forget winecap mushrooms in such paths.

Harvey Ussery grows worms in his paths, in 2' x 2' x 8' ? boxes set in the paths, with 'trap' doors which open up.  Feeds these worms to his chickens all winter.  We have a narrow bathtub sunk in a path for this.

My great uncle gardened his strawberry and potato beds into his 80s, even when he could no longer walk.  Took the riding mower back and forth to the beds, to still work that soil where he spent his whole life.

What will we all be doing in our HTs in our 70s, 80s, 90s?
Richard Moyer
SW VA, where the figs in our HT are likely freezing to ground level tonight.





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