Season Extension
Bailey GREENhouse offers experiences, herbs
Michigan State University students looking to get their hands dirty will not have to travel far anymore. The Bailey GREENhouse,
located at the home of the Residential Initiative on the Study of the
Environment (RISE) in Brody Neighborhood, is providing fresh produce to
students and visitors.
MSU Hoophouse | Great resource for farmers looking to expand their growing and harvesting season beyond what Michigan’s climate naturally allows. Check it out for intro articles, organization materials, and more about hoop houses and four-season growing.
Hightunnels.org | Part of a USDA-sponsored project that is testing and promoting high tunnel systems in the Central Great Plains, it provides information about the USDA project, as well as links to high tunnel projects around the world.
Plasticulture | Penn State University Extension
Plasticulture is the combination of two words, plastics and agriculture. It is defined as the use of plastics in plant and animal agriculture. It is a multi-billion dollar industry, and it is worldwide in scope. These plastic products have numerous purposes. In short, plastics make agriculture more productive and efficient by cutting costs and saving time. They also conserve precious natural resources, such as water, nutrients, fossil fuels, and many forms of energy, especially sunlight. In some cases, plastic can be used to limit sunlight and retain moisture, especially in arid regions. Plasticulture also reduces competition from invasive weeds and insects.
Farm Glance: Our Own, Cheaper Take on Making Johnny’s High Tunnel System Mobile | This system does not use ground posts and is designed to be carried by just two people.
Enviro-weather Frost Alarm Service | Enviro-weather is offering a Frost Alarm service for Spring 2012. The Frost Alarm will alert users via email and/or text message if specific weather conditions are met at selected Enviro-weather stations. Notifications are made each hour, 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week. For example, a user in East Lansing can choose to be notified by email and text message if the weather station at the MSU Hort Farm registers a temperature below 34 degrees with a wind speed of less than 5 mph and also if the station at the MSU Turf Farm registers a temperature below 35 degrees. Users can choose to be notified for any number of stations and any combination of conditions. The Frost Alarm is available by subscription for $50 per year. The service begins March 15. Contact Beth Bishop at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more information.
Midwest Season Extension | Season Extension in the Midwest was created as a place for farmers to go and learn about the many new and exciting growing opportunities in season extension.
Tunnel Vision | Your source for profitable production practices
Hoophouse Farming Startup: Economics, Efforts and Experiences from 12 Novice Hoophouse Farmers | MSUE Bulletin 3138, December 2010 Report from one component of the research project. The project characterized the economics, efforts and experiences of 12 novice hoophouse farmers during the first three years of startup.
High Tunnel Online Tutorial | Describes one way to prepare and install Gothic-framed “mid-sized” tunnels measuring 4 ft in width and 45 inches at peak height. We have found these mid-size tunnels to be useful in various ways, including as a complement to regular low and high tunnels and in over-wintering low-stature crops. Perhaps the tutorial file and mid-tunnels can be useful to you or others.
SARE Season Extension Topic Room
This topic room is a collection of educational materials created in connection with SARE grants, all related to season extension, mostly high tunnels.