Protect your crops and extend your season early in the spring and late in the fall. Season extension methods allow you to not only extend your season, but increase your yield.
Showing posts with label High Tunnel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label High Tunnel. Show all posts
Monday, October 6, 2014
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Jean-Martin Fortier's "The Market Gardener"
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| Jean-Martin Fortier and Maude-Helene Desrochas |
ABOUT:
Jean-Martin Fortier is a market farmer in Quebec who, along with his wife, Maude-Hélène Desroches, and their two children, operates Les Jardins de la Grelinette. After 10 years of refining their craft, they’re able to support a CSA with over 140 members and attend two local farmers’ markets weekly.Jean-Martin has clearly been influenced by the writings of Eliot Coleman, as many of his methods are straight out of Eliot's playbooks. As a result, he employs many tools that were developed by Eliot and Johnny's. He has even named his farm after one of them. 'La Grelinette' is the French name for what we call the Broadfork, a two-handled fork invented in France by André Grelin in 1946.
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| Andre Grelin |
THE BROADFORK:
The Broadfork was redeveloped in 1998 by Eliot Coleman and Johnny's Selected Seeds. For many years now Jean-Martin has been describing his growing strategies and use of scale-appropriate technology on a website and blog, where he promotes the idea of farming with hand tools (i.e., they don't have tractor) as an alternative way of farming professionally.
In 2012, Jean-Martin published Le jardinier-maraîcher, a 200 page manual
for small-acreage organic agriculture. The book quickly became a Canadian
best-seller and has sold more than 15,000 copies. In it, he describes (in French) the technical
aspects of his operation and the tools that they use to make their labor
efficient and cost-effective. Many of the drawings in the book illustrate
Johnny's tools, including Broadforks (of course), the Tilther, several seeders
including the Six Row Seeder, the Bed Prep Rake, Collinear and Stirrup Hoes,
and the Wheel Hoe.
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| Le jardinier-maraicher |
THE MARKET GARDENER:
In 2013, Jean-Martin also set out to publish an
English version of Le
jardinier-maraîcher, and in January of 2014, The Market Gardener was published.
Our Tools & Supplies Product Mgr., Adam Lemieux, has this to say about the book:
“Jean-Martin Fortier extols the virtues of being small-scale, and expertly details the use of scale-appropriate tools (such as Broadforks, seeders, hoes, flame weeders, low tunnels, high tunnels, and many other unique tools) designed specifically for this brand of farming.
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| Jean-Martin Fortier |
You can find The Market Gardener on our website here.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Friday, January 17, 2014
Winter Caterpillar Tunnel Structural Trial (2011)
In March 2011, we tested our caterpillar tunnel under heavy snow load to see how the structure would respond. Now that winter is upon us, we're re-posting our results from the trial. Let us know your thoughts on our findings by leaving a comment under this post!
Goal: To see if either caterpillar tunnel version (with, or without purlins) could withstand winter snow load.
Results: Very interesting. We picked two of the four tunnels that were built in May, 2010, planted onions in them, and buttoned them up for the winter. Both tunnels were structurally the same, with a center ridgepole made of chain link fence top-rail, but one of them also had purlins about three feet from either side of the ridge. These purlins, were used in the summer to trellis vine crops, and carried that load quite well. They really stiffened up the whole structure. However, in summer, they tended to cause the plastic to collect rainwater. This made me think that the purlins would either make it so strong that it would better carry the snow load or they would catch more snow than the tunnel without purlins and cause a collapse. It looks like the latter is the case.
Summary and recommendations: It is important to note that we intentionally did not remove snow in this trial, as we were looking for structural failure in worst case conditions. Removal of snow, even just next to the tunnel that failed, probably would have prevented its failure. Doing so would have greatly reduced the pressure bearing in on the sides (and therefore the plastic's weight felt on the top). If you intend to use a structure like this to overwinter crops in northern climates where snowfall is a concern, I would recommend a maximum of four foot bow spacing during construction, not using side purlins in winter tunnels because they catch snow, and, of course, the removal of snow whenever possible from the sides and top of the tunnel. It would also be prudent to shore up the bows internally with notched two-by-fours placed vertically under every other bow as a means of additional snow load insurance and peace of mind.
You can view the complete gallery of this trial below:
The 26-page illustrated manual for the bender used to make these tunnels may be downloaded on the Quick Hoops™ High Tunnel Bender's product page.
Adam Lemieux
Johnny's Tools & Supplies Manager
Goal: To see if either caterpillar tunnel version (with, or without purlins) could withstand winter snow load.
Results: Very interesting. We picked two of the four tunnels that were built in May, 2010, planted onions in them, and buttoned them up for the winter. Both tunnels were structurally the same, with a center ridgepole made of chain link fence top-rail, but one of them also had purlins about three feet from either side of the ridge. These purlins, were used in the summer to trellis vine crops, and carried that load quite well. They really stiffened up the whole structure. However, in summer, they tended to cause the plastic to collect rainwater. This made me think that the purlins would either make it so strong that it would better carry the snow load or they would catch more snow than the tunnel without purlins and cause a collapse. It looks like the latter is the case.
Summary and recommendations: It is important to note that we intentionally did not remove snow in this trial, as we were looking for structural failure in worst case conditions. Removal of snow, even just next to the tunnel that failed, probably would have prevented its failure. Doing so would have greatly reduced the pressure bearing in on the sides (and therefore the plastic's weight felt on the top). If you intend to use a structure like this to overwinter crops in northern climates where snowfall is a concern, I would recommend a maximum of four foot bow spacing during construction, not using side purlins in winter tunnels because they catch snow, and, of course, the removal of snow whenever possible from the sides and top of the tunnel. It would also be prudent to shore up the bows internally with notched two-by-fours placed vertically under every other bow as a means of additional snow load insurance and peace of mind.
You can view the complete gallery of this trial below:
The 26-page illustrated manual for the bender used to make these tunnels may be downloaded on the Quick Hoops™ High Tunnel Bender's product page.
Adam Lemieux
Johnny's Tools & Supplies Manager
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Growing for the Greater Good
Our second Commercial Sales team
blog comes from Ken Fine, Commercial Sales Rep for Massachusetts and the
Northern Midwest. Here’s some background information on Ken:
Ken has worked with commercial
growers at Johnny's Selected Seeds since 1999. Prior to coming to
Johnny’s, Ken studied as an apprentice at the UCSC Farm and Garden Project
in Santa Cruz, CA. He then operated a 3 acre Market Garden in coastal Maine,
selling specialty lettuce and produce to area stores and restaurants. He likes
to stay current with successful farming techniques, trends in consumer
interest, and the best varieties of vegetables, herbs, and flowers available.
THE FOOD
PROJECT- MASSACHUSETTS
Recently I
received news of the year-end harvest dinner at one of Johnny’s long-term customers. The Food Project in Massachusetts celebrates the achievements of
the staff and volunteers at the many Food Project facilities in Lincoln,
Dorchester, Beverly, and elsewhere. At the 2nd
Annual Gala - Celebrate the Harvest event, the organization featured guest Will
Allen of Growing
Power. According
to the Food Project website, their mission is to “grow
a thoughtful and productive community of youth and adults from diverse
backgrounds who work together to build a sustainable food system. We produce
healthy food for residents of the city and suburbs and provide youth leadership
opportunities...”
Sometimes,
one farm can make a huge impact. Founded by Michael Docter as Food Bank Farm in
Hadley, MA, the good work of growing food for the benefit of the community has continued into
the next generations there.
Apprentices from Food Bank Farm have
gone on to start their own CSA programs serving thousands of subscribers in
Massachusetts. One apprentice, Benjamin Perrault of Mount
View Farm in Easthampton has carried on another tradition. His bustling
farm still plants a portion of their acreage specifically to produce first
quality vegetables for The Food Bank
of Western Mass.
GROWING POWER -
WISCONSIN 
At Growing Power, based in
Milwaukee, WI, founder Will Allen does more than make inspirational keynote
speeches. The many facilities powered by staff and volunteers of all ages and
backgrounds are growing tremendous quantities of quality farm produce that goes
directly to the people of urban Milwaukee who need it most. In fact, one of the
missions of Growing Power is to
alleviate the perils of living in a “Food Desert” that traps so many urban
residents.
DETROIT,
MICHIGAN-BASED ORGANIZATIONS 
Another
rapidly expanding healthy food movement location is Detroit, Michigan. There,
staff and volunteers of Greening of Detroit, Earthworks
Farm, and countless other small community projects are utilizing
available land within the city to make a difference. Healthy food and healthy
lifestyle choices are becoming available to thousands in the community who are
eagerly embracing the delights of farming and gardening.
To contact Ken, you can reach him via email at: kfine@johnnyseeds.com, or Toll-Free at: 877-564-6697, ext. 5307.
Current sales territory:
Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
For his
blog topic, Ken has taken the opportunity to describe a few of the farm-based organizations that help foster
constructive change in their local communities. These types of organizations
can be found throughout the U.S, creating sustainable alternatives in our food
system and helping people - especially young people - be inspired and experience
personal growth by growing food.
Recently I
received news of the year-end harvest dinner at one of Johnny’s long-term customers. The Food Project in Massachusetts celebrates the achievements of
the staff and volunteers at the many Food Project facilities in Lincoln,
Dorchester, Beverly, and elsewhere. At the 2nd
Annual Gala - Celebrate the Harvest event, the organization featured guest Will
Allen of Growing
Power. According
to the Food Project website, their mission is to “grow
a thoughtful and productive community of youth and adults from diverse
backgrounds who work together to build a sustainable food system. We produce
healthy food for residents of the city and suburbs and provide youth leadership
opportunities...”
MOUNT
VIEW FARM:
Sometimes,
one farm can make a huge impact. Founded by Michael Docter as Food Bank Farm in
Hadley, MA, the good work of growing food for the benefit of the community has continued into
the next generations there.
According
to their website: “Mountain View Farm leases a large parcel of land owned by
The Food Bank and, in exchange, we provide 100,000 pounds of fresh, local,
chemical-free produce to The Food Bank for distribution to front-line food
assistance providers and people in need throughout our region. In Berkshire,
Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire Counties in Western Massachusetts,
approximately one in every ten people suffers from chronic food shortages or
needs emergency food assistance.”
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| Mount View Farm in Massachusetts |
At Growing Power, based in
Milwaukee, WI, founder Will Allen does more than make inspirational keynote
speeches. The many facilities powered by staff and volunteers of all ages and
backgrounds are growing tremendous quantities of quality farm produce that goes
directly to the people of urban Milwaukee who need it most. In fact, one of the
missions of Growing Power is to
alleviate the perils of living in a “Food Desert” that traps so many urban
residents.
Established
in 1993, Growing Power has offered agricultural-based training, hands-on experience to community
members, and spread their mission that you “cannot have healthy communities
without a healthy food system.”
 |
| Growing Power High Tunnel full of Greens |
Another
rapidly expanding healthy food movement location is Detroit, Michigan. There,
staff and volunteers of Greening of Detroit, Earthworks
Farm, and countless other small community projects are utilizing
available land within the city to make a difference. Healthy food and healthy
lifestyle choices are becoming available to thousands in the community who are
eagerly embracing the delights of farming and gardening.
To
learn more about any of these organizations or to locate one near where you
live, follow these links or get in touch with me for more information.
To contact Ken, you can reach him via email at: kfine@johnnyseeds.com, or Toll-Free at: 877-564-6697, ext. 5307.
Otherwise, for general inquiries
about Johnny's Commercial Sales, email service@johnnyseeds.com
and we will get back to you shortly, or visit our Territory
Sales Representatives page at Johnnyseeds.com.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Create Tunnel Hoops Quickly & Easily
Extend the growing season for cold-hardy crops with a very late season
harvest, or overwinter them for earliest possible spring harvest.
Benders allow you to do this by creating low tunnel hoops out of
galvanized electrical conduit.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Join Johnny's Over the 2013 Common Ground Fair Weekend
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| Join us at our booth at the MOFGA Fairgrounds, or at our Retail Store in Winslow |
Friday, October 19, 2012
Johnny's 2012 Common Ground Fair Raffle Winners Announced
2012 Common Ground Country Fair — Raffle Winners
Johnny's Selected Seeds is pleased to announce the following raffle ticket winners from the 2012 Common Ground Fair:- Janis Albright of South Portland, Maine won a $100 Gift Certificate
- Karelyn Closson of Portland, Maine won a $100 Gift Certificate
- Alan Schultz of Worthington, Massachusetts won a $100 Gift Certificate
- Johanna Davis and Adam Nordell of Songbird Farm won the High Tunnel raffle. Songbird Farm is a certified organic vegetable and grain farm situated on six acres of fertile bottomland along the Sandy River in Starks, Maine.
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| Johanna Davis and Adam Nordell of Songbird Farm |
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