Post on 17-Jul-2015
Profitable Production of Quality Winter Greens in Unheated High Tunnels
December 2013 Paul & Sandy Arnold
Pleasant Valley Farm Argyle, New York
• INEXPENSIVE START-UP WITH SMART EXPENDITURES • GOOD BUSINESS MANAGEMENT & RECORD KEEPING • LABOR EFFICIENCIES TO MAXIMIZE PROFITS • EFFICIENT PRODUCTION SYSTEMS & SOIL MANAGEMENT • MULCHING AND WEED CONTROL • PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT • SEASON EXTENSION-ROWCOVERS & FIELDHOUSES • YEAR-ROUND HIGH TUNNEL PRODUCTION • POST-HARVEST HANDLING AND CROP STORAGE • CREATIVE MARKETING
OUR 10 KEY FACTORS TO REACHING OUR GOAL OF PROFITABLE FARMING
• 5 Acres Mixed Diverse Vegetables • ½ Acre Large Fruits • ¼ Acre Small Fruits • Perennials & Herbs From Seed • 3-4 Acres Cover Crops • Sell at 3 local weekly farmers’ markets in
summer & two Saturday winter markets • Hay fields used by local Beefalo farmer
PLEASANT VALLEY FARM 1988-1998
GETTING OLD?? NEED LESS MAINTENANCE!
HIGH TUNNELS
3 RIMOL HIGH TUNNELS
2006 30’X144’ 2008 34’X144’ 2012 34’X144’
CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
• Drain tile • Polycarbonate • No wood • Utilities • Auto Roll-up Sides
SUN DRIVEN SYSTEM—NO HEAT
WINTER PRODUCTION
IN HIGH TUNNELS
SOIL PREPARATION
• Soil Tests • A&L Labs • Compost
• Organic Fertilizer
• Micros • CNG
FERTILITY
ROTOTILLING
• Chisel Plow
• Rototill • Plant
DECEMBER TO MAY
• CROPS • VARIETIES • SEEDING
DATES • SPACING • PERCENT
USE
DECEMBER TO MAY
CROPS WE GROW • Kale • Swiss chard • Spinach • Asian Greens • Lettuce Mix • Arugula • Broccoli
DECEMBER TO MAY
VARIETIES • Kale: Red Russian, White Russian, Winterbor • Swiss chard: Bright Lights • Spinach: TRIALS • Lettuce Mix: Disease resistant varieties; Mustards • Arugula: Astro, Regular
Asian Greens: Tokyo Bekana, Yukina Savoy, Vitamin Green, Tatsoi, Red Choi, Black Summer, Mei Qing Choi, Joi Choi
LETTUCE ALL WINTER DISEASE
RESISTANCE NOW SEED
SEPARATELY HAPPY CUSTOMERS
WE RATE OUR LETTUCE VARIETIES EACH WINTER BY: • COLOR-RED AND GREEN • GROWTH • DISEASE RESISTANCE
RATINGS OF LETTUCE FOR SALAD MIX
R=RED COLOR G=GREEN COLOR GR=GROWTH D=DISEASE 1=BEST 7=WORST
• Blade • Spock • Bolsachica • Refugio • Gaviota • Sulu
• Trials : • Bixby • Dane • Aerostar • Gem
NEW TRIALS ALWAYS!
SALANOVA LETTUCE
• New 2012 • Trialed Winter
2012-13 • Seeded 9/30 • Not ready until
March • Very cold
tolerant • No disease issues
SALANOVA LETTUCE
• Fantastic efficiency for harvest
• Cut 8 pounds in 5 minutes
SALANOVA LETTUCE
• Makes a great quality mix
• Same length leaves
• Can recut • Slower to grow
SALANOVA LETTUCE
• Trials for 2013-2014
• Weekly seedings starting Aug 15
• 8 Varieties • First seeding
almost ready • Record dates for
cuts and recuts
2011-12 VARIETY TRIAL WITH 24+ VARIETIES • PRODUCTION BY
WEIGHT PER FOOT • COLOR • HARVEST TIME • VT Veg & Berry
Website Results • http://www.uvm.edu/vtve
gandberry/meetings/meetlist.html
SPINACH VARIETIES
AMERICA BAHAMAS CORVAIR CROCODILE DONKEY EMILIA EMU ERSTE ERNTE GIANT WINTER LAZIO LOMBARDIA MENORCA
24 VARIETIES FOR 2011-12 WINTER TRIALS
TYEE QUEEN RACCOON RED KITTEN REFLECT REGIMENT SAMISH SEVEN GRN SPACE SPARGO ST HELENS TARPY
COLOR RATED JAN 1ST 1 TO 10 (10 BEST)
AMERICA 7 BAHAMAS 5 CORVAIR 9 CROCODILE 9 DONKEY 7-8 EMILIA 7 EMU 5 ERSTE ERNTE 2 GIANT WINTER 3 LAZIO 8 LOMBARDIA 5-7 MENORCA 8
QUEEN 7 RACCOON 6-8 RED KITTEN 8 REFLECT 4-5 REGIMENT 7-8 SAMISH 8 SEVEN GREEN 7 SPACE 5-8 SPARGO 8 ST HELENS 7 TARPY 6 TYEE 7
MAR 8 1 SPACE 2 LOMBARDIA 3 REGIMENT 4 LOMBARDIA 5 ST HELENS 6 SAMISH 7 DONKEY 7 EMU 8 GIANT WINTER 8 REFLECT 9 SPACE 10 BAHAMAS 10 TARPY 10 ST HELENS 10 7 GRN 10 LOMBARDIA
YIELDS CAN VARY!! OPERATING FRM
MAR 8 11 EMILIA 11 SAMISH 11 LOMBARDIA 11 LOMBARDIA 11 RACCOON 11 QUEEN 11 SPARGO 12 RED KITTEN 12 TYEE 12 LOMBARDIA 12 GIANT WINTER 12 CORVAIR 12 ERSTE ERNTE 13 REGIMENT 13 ST HELENS 13 GIANT WINTER 13 CORVAIR 14 SPACE 15 CORVAIR 16 EMU 16 TYEE
FEB 16 1 SPACE 2 LOMBARDIA 3 LOMBARDIA 4 REGIMENT 5 ST HELENS 6 REFLECT 6 LOMBARDIA 6 GIANT WINTER 7 SAMISH 7 DONKEY 7 EMU 7 ST HELENS 8 GIANT WINTER 9 LOMBARDIA 9 EMILIA 9 ERSTE ERNTE 9 REGIMENT 9 CORVAIR 10 7 GRN 10 RACCOON 10 GIANT WINTER 10 TYEE
NOT A SIMPLE LIST!!
• SOME EARLY • SOME LATE • UPRIGHT • FLAT • SPACING • DIRECT SEED • TRANSPLANT
SUMMARY
TOP 10 SPINACH?? • SPACE • RACCOON • LOMBARDIA • REFLECT • GIANT
WINTER • PIGEON • LOMBARDIA • DONKEY • SAMISH • EMU • ++NEW ONES
SPINACH VARIETIES
GREENHOUSE SEEDING DATES
SEED STRIPS, SPEEDLING, WINSTRIPS
SEEDING TRAYS
Must be on special list to get imported Winstrips from Korea-ask!
SEEDED JULY 15TH
KALE & SWISS CHARD
• Asian Greens- Sept 1st to Oct 15th
GREENHOUSE SEEDING DATES
• Spinach- Sept 20th to Oct 1st
HAVE READY TO PLANT IN TUNNEL ABOUT OCTOBER 15TH
TRANSPLANT UP • TRANSPLANTS ALLOW
SUMMER PRODUCE TO CONTINUE PRODUCING IN TUNNELS
• CAN POT UP IF NECESSARY DEPENDING ON VALUE OF TUNNEL CROPS LIKE TOMATOES
ROCK DOWN BIOTELLO---ADD STRAW TO PATHS
PREPARE TUNNEL MID-LATE OCTOBER • 6 BEDS IN 30’ WIDE
TUNNEL • 7 BEDS IN 34’ WIDE
TUNNEL • ROTOTILL AND FORM
BEDS BY HAND WITH A SHOVEL…TAKES APPROX 5 HOURS
• BEDS ABOUT 3.5 FT WIDE
• LAY BIOTELLO BY HAND TO SAVE SPACE
MUST PLANT BY NOVEMBER 1ST
PLANT TRANSPLANTS • 5 Rows per bed • 3 Rows of Kale or
Swiss Chard with 2 rows of Asian Greens in-between
TEAGLE TOMAHAWK FOR MULCH
FRENCH INTENSIVE METHOD
Swiss Chard and Asian Greens
Asian Greens for Braising Mix • Tokyo
Bekana • Yukina
Savoy • Vitamin
Green
FRENCH INTENSIVE METHOD
Kale and Asian Greens
• Asian Greens also named “Large leaf mesclun mix”!
• Start harvesting December/January…love cold
• Kale & Swiss Chard dormant till late Feb unless warm!
SPACING
8 x 12 for • Kale • Swiss chard • Asian Greens • Happy Rich
Broccoli
4 X14 for • Broccoli
Raab
SPACING
• Spinach-
From Transplants with 3-4 seeds per cell: 5”x8”
• Spinach- Direct Seeded 8” between rows
DIRECT SEEDING DATES
WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY SEPTEMBER 20TH TO OCT 10TH
OCTOBER 1st OPTIMUM FOR US
(some years!)
• LETTUCE for Salad Mix • MUSTARDS-Reds,
Greens • SPINACH • ASIAN GREENS-
Mizuna, Tatsoi, etc
FIND YOUR DATE!
THE WINTER HARVEST HANDBOOK BY ELIOT COLEMAN Time of seedings are critical…Successive seedings gives consistency Weather is a changing factor
SPACING
Lettuce, Asian Greens & Mustards for Salad Mix
Arugula • 2 ½ inches • Separate varieties • Earthway Seeder
or Jang
ARUGULA • Successive
seedings • Oct 1st to
Nov 15th
• Astro & Regular
JANUARY SEEDINGS • Asian Greens • Salad Mix
Greens
IN THE GREENHOUSE
GH Seeded in early January, transplanted to tunnel in March Produces for
April & May
ASIAN GREENS
GH Seeded in early January, transplanted to tunnel in March Produces for April &
May Includes lettuce,
mustards & greens
SALAD MIX GREENS
GO PLAY TILL HARVEST! Well.. • Rowcovers left off
as much as possible to get sunlight
• Keep humidity down
• Scout often for diseases
• Monitor and set traps for rodents
• Sluggo for slugs • Water
PERCENT USE & VALUE Map for efficiency Value per square foot high: Usually about $4-$5
WINTER MAINTENANCE
Winter Weeding
WINTER MAINTENANCE
WEEDING Our Favorite: Dutch Push Hoe Walking pace Incorporate fertilizer
WINTER MAINTENANCE
WATERING OVERHEAD • Good for seed starting • Use nozzles that empty water out so
don’t freeze • Out of way
WINTER MAINTENANCE
DRIP TAPE WATERING
• Great for BioTelo beds
• Can use on all beds year-round
• Don’t get row covers wet
WINTER MAINTENANCE
HAND WATERING • In winter—only about once per month • Even watering • Seed starting & Transplant watering in • Row covers can be left in place
DISEASES
Fusarium & Mildews
• Root Shield • Root Shield Plus • Actinovate Greenhouse drench and Tunnel Drench Re-drench every 6 to 8 weeks if disease
WINTER DISEASES
• Venting most important!
• Temperature fluctuations
• +/- 20 degrees
• HAF fans helpful-6 per tunnel
Cladosporium leaf spot
WINTER DISEASES
• Venting critical-no moisture!
• Fans help • Keep row cover
dry • Actinovate • Regalia • Cease • Double Nickel • LOTS OF TRIALS!
Downy Mildew in Lettuce and Greens
WINTER INSECTS
Aphids Ladybugs: • Buy Early • Spread weekly
WINTER INSECTS
Aphids Aphidoletes
• Predaceous midge
Safer Soap
WINTER INSECTS
Mites • Microscopic
• Predatory
Mites-IPM Labs • Aza-direct
Ragged edges
on leaves/ Irregular leaves
Monitor to
catch early!
SPINACH CROWN MITE
VENTS OPEN 24/7 TO KEEP HUMIDITY DOWN
LESS THAN 85% HUMIDITY
WEATHER STATION
SOLAR TEMP HUMIDITY WIND RAIN
WEATHER STATION
Wireless 3 Stations Computer Davis Vantage Pro II
WEATHER STATION
Scientific Sales, Inc.– Repeater—Harvest time
DATA LOGGERS
44 temperature data loggers with multiple parameters: Soil temp 1” down, outside temp, rafter temp, plant height, 1’ up, 6’ up
44 DATA LOGGERS JANUARY TO APRIL 2009 HOURLY TEMP RECORDINGS 3 DIFFERENT FARMS
•2 Unheated High Tunnels •2 Ground-Heated High Tunnels •1 Heated Low Tunnel & 1 Unheated Low Tunnel
LOTS OF DATA!! Rowcovers varied; Tent heights varied (0, 18”, 2’ to 3’)
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
2/1/2009 0:00 2/2/2009 0:00 2/3/2009 0:00 2/4/2009 0:00 2/5/2009 0:00 2/6/2009 0:00 2/7/2009 0:00 2/8/2009 0:00 2/9/2009 0:00
H1_no BP_18"hoop_ground (7) H1_BP_18"hoop_ground (20)Outside (13) 32ºF
Soil temps: Biotello plastic and No Biotello plastic under 18” hooped Swiss Chard; Outside temp Not much difference at night, but daytime advantage to warm the soil…more growth
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
2/1/2009 0:00 2/2/2009 0:00 2/3/2009 0:00 2/4/2009 0:00 2/5/2009 0:00 2/6/2009 0:00 2/7/2009 0:00 2/8/2009 0:00 2/9/2009 0:00
Down right cold night
H2_2rc__no hoop_plant height_spinach (18) H2_18" hoop_plant height (19)
H2_3' tent_plant height (16) 32ºF
45ºF Outside (13)
COLD NIGHT: Plant Height (2”): No hoops; 18” Hoops; 2-3’ Hooped area; Outside 5-10 degree increase in temp the closer rowcover is to the ground; laying right on crop best for night; Daytime peak temp all about the same
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
3/6/2009 0:00 3/7/2009 0:00 3/8/2009 0:00 3/9/2009 0:00 3/10/2009 0:00 3/11/2009 0:00 3/12/2009 0:00
Chilly nights
H2_2rc__no hoop_plant height_spinach (18) H2_18" hoop_plant height (19)
H2_3' tent_plant height (16) 32ºF
45ºF Outside (13)
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
2/1/2009 0:00 2/2/2009 0:00 2/3/2009 0:00 2/4/2009 0:00 2/5/2009 0:00 2/6/2009 0:00 2/7/2009 0:00 2/8/2009 0:00 2/9/2009 0:00
Down right cold night
HeatHa_plant height (33) H2_18" hoop_plant height (19) H2_3' tent_plant height (16) 32ºF 45ºF Outside (13)
Plant Height (2”) and outside temp Heated tunnel; 18” hoops; 2-3’ tent COLD NIGHT: 5 to 7 degree benefit from heat at night and 2 to 5 degrees in the daytime. WORTH THE COST OF PROPANE or OIL? Stockpile? Production yields????
WINTER HARVESTING
•Tools •Specialty Knives
WINTER HARVESTING
• Buckhorn crates
• Window of opportunity for harvest
WINTER HARVESTING
• Keep area clean and neat—no debris
• Clean up bed after cutting
• Many re-cuts
WINTER HARVESTING
ONE OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS! GOLF CARTS • We now have 3 • Easy to drive • Inexpensive • Great for kids
PROTECTION ROWCOVER • 1, 2, 3 • Height • Hoops
•STAINLESS STEEL
•FLOOR MATS
•WARM WATER
Winter Washing Station for Energy Savings & Efficiency
YIELD DATA
DECEMBER TO APRIL
•Kale •Swiss chard •Spinach •Asian Greens •Lettuce Mix •Arugula •Turnips •Herbs
Increased weekly sales by $450 in 08-09
FIRST WINTER 2007 Plastic on in January 11 Rows of Spinach Gross over $10,000 Just one crop!
2009-10 Gross $16,000 and $150,000 per acre 2010-11 Winter 9 Variety Trial
SPINACH
W
Winter Tunnels increased Sales $1200 per week ‘09-10
SWISS CHARD: 800 square feet yielded $4998 for one winter season
2010-11
•Perfecting the systems •More per square foot •Yielded $1630 per week •Markets building every year
2011-12
•Every year different •Weather variables •Diversity Important
TOTALS 2011-12
•Asian Greens 11/12 to 5/19 $4,116 •Arugula 11/19 to 4/28 $4,039 •Spinach 11/25 to 4/3 $12,858 •Swiss Chard 12/17 to 6/20 $7,440 •Salad Mix 1/1 to 6/1 $18,484 •Kale 1/28 to 5/12 $3,291 TOTAL: $50,228 Gross 2 Tunnels-6 Crops!
TOTALS 2012-13
Averaged approximately 120 pounds of greens weekly out of the three tunnels
ALWAYS NEW THINGS TO TRIAL!
TURNIPS ONIONS-FORUM & BRIDGER
WINTER TUNNELS INCREASE PROFITS IN THE SPRING…..
AS WELL AS IN THE WINTER!!
DIVERSITY AND BIG DISPLAYS!
TAKEN IN MID - JANUARY!
SUMMARY • LARGE INVESTMENT • FAST PAYBACK • COST $20,000 to $30,000 • LESS THAN TWO YEAR PAYBACK
FOR EACH • PRODUCTION HIGH—LABOR LOW • MUST BE GOOD MARKETER • IMPROVING EVERY YEAR
SOLAR, SOLAR & MORE SOLAR! 2007-10kW 2012-19kW NETMETERED
HOW WE GET OUR ELECTRICITY….
THANKS AND HAVE A GREAT 2014 SEASON!
Alaska, Glacier 2011 Hawaii 2006