Whether you’re exploring your first hoop house, learning the ropes as a new grower, or managing emerging pest and disease challenges as an experienced grower, a new resource can help. Plus, if you don’t know where to start, from getting a farm number to the person to contact with your questions, CFA is here to help! Reach out to us at info@cfaky.org
Our friends at Grow Appalachia, University of Kentucky, Kentucky Horticulture Council, NRCS, and KADF have developed a comprehensive high tunnel toolkit—the High Tunnel Resource Guide for Kentucky Producers—designed to support growers at every stage. The toolkit covers everything from deciding whether a high tunnel is the right production system for your operation to implementing effective integrated pest management strategies. High tunnels, or hoop houses, create a solar enhanced environment which extends the growing season and can enable year-round production. Plants are grown directly in the ground and side walls and vents are used to regulate the temperature inside the tunnel. Although high tunnels have been part of Kentucky agriculture for decades—pioneered by Dr. Emery Emmert at the University of Kentucky in the 1950s and 1960s—their use has expanded significantly in the past 15 years, in large part due to the NRCS EQIP program.
Available through UK’s Center for Crop Diversification website, the toolkit guides growers through tunnel selection and siting, commercial production practices, ongoing maintenance, and pest and disease management. It also includes links to extension publications, videos, and other helpful resources—making it a true one-stop shop for high tunnel production.
Learn more from the links below:
- CCD’s website page on high tunnels: https://ccd.uky.edu/resources/systems/hightunnel
- Grow Appalachia: https://growappalachia.berea.edu/
- KY Horticulture Council: https://kyhortcouncil.org/
- NRCS: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/kentucky
- EQIP: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/environmental-quality-incentives-program