"And our hope is that what comes out the back are some excited high school kids that want to do this as a summer job where they can make a lot more money growing vegetables in a high tunnel than they can flipping burgers say at a restaurant or something and working half as much" -- Bryce Henry for KBJR News in Duluth Fall Crops:
In our climate, Fall plantings should be in by the Autumnal Equinox, September 21st, to ensure enough heat and light for a bountiful crop!
These crops can be harvested in late November and early December. Here's a list of seed varieties to plant in your High Tunnel this fall. (Click on each variety to go to its ordering page) Root Crops Easter Egg Radishes Hakurei Turnips Purple Top White Globe Turnips Romaine Lettuces Winter Density Skyphos Rouge d'hiver Salad Mix Five Star Great Additions to Salad Mix Astro Arugula Claytonia Mache (Vit) Sorrel Cress Spinach Emperor Tyee Asian Greens Bak Choy Toy Choy Other Hardy Greens Kale Chard |
About the High Tunnel Greenhouse Project
In 2013, our local region was awarded a USDA grant to continue to improve upon our local food system. The project funded was entitled: "Meeting the Challenge of Winter: Using High Tunnels to Expand Farm-to-School in Northern Wisconsin."
This multi-faceted grant included funding to:
This grant was a collaboration of multiple Chequamegon Bay entities, including:
With High Tunnels in each of our local schools, opportunities for year-round education projects abound. In the past, because of our short growing season, teachers have had a very difficult challenge in incorporating experiential, outdoor, plant-based projects into the curriculum. At most, students were able to start seeds and plant into school gardens, and then after a long summer vacation, perhaps harvest in the fall when they returned for the following school year. This lack of continuity is no longer an issue as we employ the technology of High Tunnel Greenhouses for classroom use. With High Tunnel Greenhouses, students and teachers are able to enjoy 2 full planting/harvesting cycles, within the confines of the school year! As we manage the High Tunnels for educational purposes, we plant on the following schedule: By the Fall Equinox, September 21st, cold hardy crops are planted, including (but not limited to):
These crops can be harvested in late November and December! Around the Spring Equinox, cold hardy spring crops are planted, including (but not limited to):
These crops can be harvested in mid-May before students leave on summer vacation! For the summer season, while school is out of session, the growing power of the High Tunnels is harnessed by the Agripreneur Program, an innovative program that provides students a summer job opportunity while they learn more about small-scale sustainable farming, marketing and high tunnel growing techniques! Spring Crops:
In our climate, Spring planting can be done when the ground thaws - usually around the Spring Equinox (March 20, 2016).
These crops can be harvested in mid-May, before students leave for summer vacation. You can plant all of the above crops, along with the following:
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Possible transplant/seeding timelines for a high tunnel in this climate (USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 4a/4b):
