The University of Minnesota Extension fruit and vegetable team and The Grossman lab are hosting a series of hands-on high tunnel field days this spring and summer. Join us throughout the growing season to learn timely and practical skills needed to manage a high tunnel effectively.
Saturday April 25, 10am - 2pm, Pierz, MN. On-farm field day at Microbeginnings Farm: Putting plastic onto a high tunnel. (Back-up date is May 8th in case of storms / rain). Farmer and carpenter Andrew Hanson-Pierre from Clover Bee Farm will lead us through the process of putting plastic on a new high tunnel. It will also be an opportunity to discuss all things high tunnel construction. Lunch will be included in this field day.
Thursday May 14, 10am - 12pm, St. Paul, MN. Irrigation set-up, plant nutrition, and field preparation. We’ll walk through irrigation system set-up and common irrigation problems, showcase strategies for “flipping” high tunnel beds using both traditional and reduced tillage strategies, and talk through incorporating nutrients into high tunnel soils.
Tuesday June 16, 9:30am - 12pm, St. Paul, MN. Pruning and trellising + scouting for problems. Our high tunnel will have cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers trellised in a variety of styles (e.g. netting vs. single leader cucumbers, single vs. double leader tomatoes, a basket weave system for peppers). Participants will be given a set of pruning shears and we’ll practice pruning and trellising so that you are more confident doing so at your own farm or garden. We’ll also practice scouting for problems, talk about tools for identifying what’s going on, and how to manage problems before they get out of hand.
Tuesday July 7, 9:30am - 12:00pm Postharvest handling and coolers - How to wash and cool vegetables for postharvest quality safety.
Washing, packing and cooling produce are critical parts of selling high-quality vegetables. What is the best way to wash your vegetables, and what should not be washed? Come to this field day to learn all about postharvest handling and cooling. Practice using a variety of wash tanks, spray tables, a homemade barrel washer for roots and a low - cost cooler. We will wash and pack collard greens, salad mix, beets and cucumbers and pack into a cooler for demonstration to show proper handling to improve safety and shelf life of fresh vegetables.
Bonus: bring problem plants for identification. We’ll set up a problem ID table with microscopes, entomologists, and plant pathologists to help you diagnose problems in your plants.
Friday August 7, 10am - 12pm. Afton, MN. On-farm field day: summer cover crops and succession planting for fall and winter growing. Visit a farm that grows vegetables nearly near-round using well-planned successions in their high tunnel. Learn about the tools and strategies that they use to maintain soil health and extend the growing season.
Our goal is for these workshops to be as accessible as possible, while providing opportunities for growers to practice hands-on skills. Please request interpretation at least 3 weeks before each event so that we have time to hire an interpreter. Each event is $10 to help us cover the cost of food and presenter travel, but there is a sliding scale option if the cost of registration is a barrier to attending.
These field days are supported with a grant from the USDA Organic Research and Extension Initiative.
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