The 2010 Farmer to Farmer Conference at Point Lookout in Northport, Maine, featured a session on managing soils in high tunnels. Speakers were Vern Grubinger, University of Vermont vegetable and berry specialist; Bruce Hoskins of the University of Maine Diagnostic Lab; and Paul Volckhausen, who, with his wife Karen, grows organic tomatoes and other crops
Yes, a full moon can mean a greater chance of frost – and with good scientific reason. The heat from the sun reflected by the full moon evaporates moisture in the atmosphere that would otherwise trap heat radiating from the earth. Photo courtesy of NASA. By Eric Sideman, Ph.D. Those of us who raise strawberries
Tim and Jan King. Photo from wholefarmcoop.com by Kristen Corselius, used with permission. By Tim King Since 1986, our farm has used a system of raised beds, drip irrigation, plastic mulch and fabric row cover tunnels. We’ve used this system or parts of this system for frost protection, weed control, irrigation, microclimate enhancement, moisture retention
Chris Cavendish, who was MOFGA’s farmer-in-residence at the time, talked about some of his favorite tools at the Small Farm Field Day in Unity last July. English photo. By Jean English Chris Cavendish, who was MOFGA’s farmer-in-residence for the past two years, talked about his experiences growing crops in and out of a hoop house
At the Small Farm Field Day in Unity, Russ Libby demonstrated growing crops in a cold frame that has a folding top. English photo. By Jean English Russ Libby, MOFGA’s executive director, has been growing garden crops in cold frames – “one of my favorite tools” – for about 18 years. His first frames consisted
This 8’ x 8’ hoophouse was built from scrap materials and $50 worth of new materials at Unity College, to see if that area could supply greens through the winter. The College’sregulation-sized hoophouse, used in an herbaceous gardening class, is in the background. English photo. Troubleshooting on the Ground by Holli Cederholm Situated in the
A large compost pile is made with a 25-foot length of snow fence. Green (nitrogenous) and brown (carbonaceous) layers of organic materials are alternated. By Adam Tomash and June Zellers © 2007 Photos by the authors Eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and cucurbits are among our favorite crops. All require warm soil and a fairly long growing season, which means they need a protected, heated space
Eliot Coleman, at the 2007 Common Ground Country Fair, demonstrated a new way to extend the growing season: Sow double beds with lettuce, spinach and other cold-tolerant crops in early October; cover the beds with hoops and row covers; and around Thanksgiving, add a second cover of greenhouse plastic. The crops should be protected over
Extend the Growing Season with Coleman’s Double-Covered Low Tunnels by Jean English Eliot Coleman has another great idea—one that will extend the growing season at far lower cost than the $1500 or so required for a hoop house. His plan, which he started experimenting with last year, involves planting pairs of 30-inch-wide beds of hardy
Noami Brautigam and James Gagne with their ‘Super Sugar Snap’ peas at Dickey Hill Farm in mid-June The Belfast Farmers’ Market was Dickey Hill’s main sales outlet this year. A small herd of rotationally grazed beef cattle diversifies income streams for Dickey Hill and helps cycle nutrients on the farm. Peas and carrots in a
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