Wichita Farmers Market Growing year around in High Tunnels slides 1-27

Jay Sleichter Jay’s Jellies Produce and More Clay Center, Kansas

Our Farm We live on 4 acres north of Clay Center. We have currently 1 acre in production. We started experimenting with High Tunnels in 2008 and built 2 in 2009. We built 3 more tunnels in 2010 with two being movable. In 2011 we replaced our smallest tunnel with a much larger model a 30 by 48 ft. In 2014, we built our largest high tunnel a 26 by 72ft. In 2017, we dismantled one of our original homemade high tunnels and built a 12 by 24 passive solar greenhouse attached to a 16 by 24 multi-use shed. Over the winter in 2018/19 we built another 30 by 48 tunnel.

We sell in Manhattan and Clay Center Farmers Markets.

We also have a 20-30 share CSA/Market Basket delivery service.

My Family My wife, Linda and I have 5 kids a freshman at KSU to 1st grader.

Linda is a RN and works at the hospitals in Clay Center and Manhattan.

I am a full time middle school math, science, Intro to Ag and Natural Resource Management teacher at Wakefield.

What we will cover • • • • • • •

Why Season Extension and winter growing?

Tools Necessary What crops do we grow and store?

How? Planting dates Pests Different Issues Disasters

Why year around growing with High Tunnels?

• Maintain important sales outlets and help stay connected to your customer • Spread out cash flow • Spread labor more evenly over the year • Sell products at higher (out of season) prices • Provide customers with greater diversity of products

Why High Tunnels, Season Extension and Winter Production?

• Fresher and more nutritious produce • Produce higher gross sales and higher income per unit of area • Creating a more regional/local food system • Changing peoples ideas about where their food come from and help them to eat seasonally • Grow customer base

Our High Tunnels • We have 6 high tunnels, 2 movable – 2, 30ft by 48ft Manufactured by Stuppy and Farmtek – 1, 26ft by 72ft Manufactured by Farmtek – 2, 16ft by 32ft Movable Tunnels, Manufactured

by ME! – 1, 18 ft by 45 ft Manufactured by ME! – 1, 12 by 24 Passive Solar greenhouse

Homemade PVC and Metal

Stuppy

Farmtek

One Tunnel, Multiple Spaces

Movable Tunnels

“GreenShed”

Low Tunnels

Pro-Tip- Use a pipe wrench to

push low tunnel hoops into the ground.

Low Tunnels

Outside, ½ or ž inch EMT conduit to support the row cover.

These were bent by hand using a quick hoop bender from www.lostcreek.net

Video: Frozen Low

Low Tunnel Tomatoes Low Tunnel

No Low Tunnel

How? • Crop Selection • Planting Dates • Succession Plantings

What Crops Do We Grow?

Fall/Winter/Spring- Arugula, Beets, Carrots, Swiss Chard, Leeks, Lettuce, Mizuna, Mustard Greens, Green Onions, Bok Choy, Radishes, Spinach, Tatsoi, Haikuri Turnips, Napa Cabbage, Kale, Kohlrabi, Fennel, Collard Greens, Garlic and more

Spring/Summer/Fall- Beets, Carrots, Chard, Leeks, Lettuce,

Green onions, onions, bok choy, radishes, spinach, turnips, Napa cabbage, Kale, Kohlrabi, Fennel, Collard Greens, Cucumber, Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Peppers, Zucchini, Summer Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Winter Squash, Okra, Green Beans, Garlic,

Winter Storage crops: 4 types daikon radishes, turnips, beets, winter squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots

Crop Selection • Select crops that – Grow well in your climate – Sell well in your markets – Are highly productive per square foot – Select anticipated crops as a loss leader to gain early customer loyalty until field crops come in Good Choice: Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers, Cut Flowers, Herbs, Spinach, Lettuce Poor Choices: Sweet Corn, Pumpkins, Okra

Crop Selection Planted March 28th June 13th April 24th

Cherokee Purple

Crop Selection: Tomatoes

Oct 17th

Varieties: Cherokee Purple, Cherokee Carbon, Polbig, Florida 91, BHN 589, BHN 871

Crop Selection: Cherry Tomatoes Varieties: Apero, Favorita, Rojito, BHN 874, Sweet Gold, Sungold, Black Cherry, Golden Sweet, Five Star Grape, Golden Sweet, Mountain Magic, Clementine, SunPeach, SunOrange, Nova

Zucchini and Cucumbers

Zucchini: Partenon, Golden Glory Cucumber: Saber, Vertina Must select Parthenocopic varieties(do not need pollination)

Start late March/early April and transplant 3-4 weeks later.

Crop Selection: Bell Peppers

Varieties: Red Knight, Revolution, Tequila, Gourmet Lunchbox, Jalapeno, Sweet Banana, Hot Banana, Shishito, Anahiem

Peppers

We grow lots of peppers. They make a beautiful fall display.