How We Grow

Polytunnels ("Hoop House") can be used to provide a higher temperature and/or humidity than what is available in the exterior environment but can also protect crops from elements that might traditionally ruin an entire yield. This allows fruits and vegetables to be grown at times usually considered off season.  Hoop Houses allow for us to extend our growing season. Beyond extending our season, Hoop Houses are also used to allow cold-hardy crops to overwinter where their hardiness isn't quite strong enough for them to survive outdoors. Temperature increases of only 5° to 15° above the outdoors, coupled with protection from the drying effect of wind, are enough to let various plant varieties grow slowly but healthily instead of dying. The ultimate goal is to create a microclimate that simulates the temperatures of several hardiness zones closer to the equator even throughout winter. 

Hoop houses have existed at least since the 1940s, but they are much more commonly used with each passing decade. Their design continues to evolve and over time we have learned how to adapt each house to suit each of the crops. Because of the wide variety of constantly changing designs, we have been able to incorporate different designs that allow us to achieve the same results with lighter construction and less cost that can make our hoop houses easily movable in needed. The advantages of our approach help garner a greater return on investment and more flexibility on crop rotation without ever having to do major excavation and soil work out of a stationary house to cure greenhouse soil sickness.