USDA TO LAUNCH HIGH TUNNEL PILOT STUDY TO INCREASE AVAILABILITY OF LOCALLY GROWN FOODS

3-Year Project To Verify Effectiveness Of High Tunnels In Natural Resource Conservation

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, 2009 - Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today announced a new pilot project under the 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' initiative for farmers to establish high tunnels - also known as hoop houses - to increase the availability of locally grown produce in a conservation-friendly way. Merrigan and other Obama administration officials highlighted opportunities available for producers in a video posted on USDA's YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07vtMJgp0no, which shows high tunnels recently installed in the White House garden.

"There is great potential for high tunnels to expand the availability of healthy, locally-grown crops - a win for producers and consumers," said Merrigan. "This pilot project is going to give us real-world information that farmers all over the country can use to decide if they want to add high tunnels to their operations. We know that these fixtures can help producers extend their growing season and hopefully add to their bottom line."


The 3-year, 38-state study will verify if high tunnels are effective in reducing pesticide use, keeping vital nutrients in the soil, extending the growing season, increasing yields, and providing other benefits to growers.

Made of ribs of plastic or metal pipe covered with a layer of plastic sheeting, high tunnels are easy to build, maintain and move. High tunnels are used year-round in parts of the country, providing steady incomes to farmers - a significant advantage to owners of small farms, limited-resource farmers and organic producers.


USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will provide financial assistance for the project through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the EQIP Organic Initiative, and the Agricultural Management Assistance program. NRCS will fund one high tunnel per farm. High tunnels in the study can cover as much as 5 percent of 1 acre. Participating states and territories are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Pacific Islands, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

To sign up or learn more about EQIP assistance for high tunnel projects, contact a local NRCS office.

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How, What, and When to Water

from Star Tribune...

It takes more than a watering can and good intentions to keep your plants hydrated during a dry spell. Here are some tips and tricks to watering well.

To gardeners, Minnesota's weather always seems unpredictable. This spring, we've had a doozy. We started the season with a moisture deficit, which has only gotten worse for the southern half of the state, including the Twin Cities. Though perfect for picnics, the dry weather poses a major challenge for most of our garden and landscape plants. It affects everything from the smallest flowering annuals, which wilt easily, to our majestic shade trees, which are more prone to insect pests and diseases when stressed by drought.

Set priorities
When we have long dry spells, it's wise to set priorities for watering. First on the list should be young trees and shrubs that were planted in the past year or two. Water them thoroughly once or twice a week, depending on how hot it is. To help them retain moisture, mulch them with several inches of wood chips or shredded bark, starting an inch or so out from the trunk or stems and extending over the root area.
Newly seeded or sodded parts of the lawn are also a high priority for water. They require shallow, but frequent watering while their roots become established. Aim for twice daily at first, then gradually shift to deeper, less frequent watering as the roots grow stronger. Don't allow newly seeded or sodded grass to go dormant. It's not resilient enough to handle it.

Flowers and vegetables
More gardeners are growing their own vegetables this year, many for the first time. Vegetables need regular, deep watering not only for productivity, but to avoid misshapen or bitter-tasting produce. How often you water vegetables depends on the soil in which they're growing. In general, the sandier the soil, the more frequently you will have to water it. When you water, soak the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Don't wait to water until you see plants drooping. Repeated wilting can be very damaging.

Most flowering annuals need regular watering to maintain their good looks. Some - including moss rose (Portulaca), blue salvia (Salvia farinacea), flowering vinca (Catharanthus), gazania and California poppy - are more drought-tolerant than others.
On the other hand, perennials - especially those that are well-established - typically have deeper, more developed roots. That means you usually can wait longer between waterings.

Whether you're growing flowers or vegetables, adding a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch will help conserve moisture, which will in turn keep the soil cooler and further reduce moisture lost to evaporation. When you're mulching vegetables or areas of the garden that are still developing, use straw, dried grass, chipped leaves or pine needles. You can use a more permanent mulch, such as wood chips, shredded bark or cocoa bean hulls, around perennials that won't be disturbed for a few years.

Lawns
Before the early June rains, many lawns in the Twin Cities had already turned brown and crisp. It is possible to let your lawn go dormant, but not all grasses come out of dormancy well. Lawns containing common Kentucky bluegrass varieties withstand summer dormancy better than most newer "improved" bluegrass varieties. Also, while your grass may go dormant, many weeds don't. Tough weeds will continue to grow, making further inroads in your lawn.

Instead of risking dormancy, keep your lawn healthy by watering it regularly. When you water your lawn, you also water the feeder roots of nearby trees.

The best way to water is to soak the soil to a depth of about 6 inches (less if you have an automatic irrigation system and can run it every two or three days). Here's an easy test for when to water: If you walk on the lawn and your footprints in the grass don't spring back up, it's time to water.

When and how to water
It makes a difference when you water. It's most efficient to water early in the day, when temperatures are lower and winds are calmer. You can water at night, but plants will stay wet longer, which makes them more vulnerable to fungal and bacterial diseases. If you have sprinklers on an automatic timer, set them to start just before sunrise. Plants will dry rapidly once the sun comes up.

It doesn't hurt plants to water them in the heat of the day. In fact, it can help cool them. But it's not an efficient way to water because a large percentage of the water evaporates. So if your plants look droopy on hot afternoons, water lightly, then follow up with a thorough watering the next morning.

Try to water the soil rather than the plant itself. Soaker hoses and drip or trickle irrigation systems do a better job than sprinklers do in getting the water where it's most needed. Sprinklers, however, are far better than hand watering. It's difficult to deliver enough water to a lawn or garden when using a hose or a watering can.

Take care with container plants
In hot, windy weather, container plants can dry quickly. Water them in the morning when it's still relatively cool, and check them again in the late afternoon to see if they need to be watered again. Be sure to saturate the soil thoroughly by applying water until it runs through the containers' drain holes.

Frequent water can flush nutrients out of the soil, so you may need to fertilize more often. If you didn't use a potting soil with fertilizer in it or a slow-release fertilizer when you planted, add water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks if you're watering daily.

Deb Brown is a garden writer and former extension horticulturist with the University of Minnesota. To ask her a gardening question, call 612-673-7793 and leave a message. She will answer questions in this column only.

Got Plastic Pots? Recycle 'em

from Star Tribune

Gardening is green, but garden waste is not. Horticultural plastic pots take up a lot of space in landfills and don't readily decompose. But they can be recycled. Just gather up all those unwanted pots, cell-pack trays and hanging baskets you've accumulated, and bring them to a participating garden center for recycling.

The Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association has brought back its popular recycling program this season, now through Nov. 1. The plastic will be re-used after it is processed and distributed to manufacturers looking for recycled plastic.

Gardeners can drop off cleaned plastic garden pots, polystyrene cell pack trays and hanging baskets, with metal hangers removed. Only plastic pots, trays and baskets will be accepted; no clay pots or household plastic.

Some garden center drop sites will accept garden plastic all season, through Nov. 1. Participating Twin Cities metro-area centers include: Applewood Nursery & Landscape Supply (Forest Lake), Bloomingon Garden Center (Bloomington), Down in the Valley Nursery (Buffalo), Hermes Floral Garden Center (St. Paul), Linder's Garden Center (St. Paul), Lotus Lawn & Garden (Chanhassen), Malmborg's (Brooklyn Center and Maple Grove), Mickman Brothers (Ham Lake), Minnesota Green (Shakopee), Minnesota Valley Garden Center (Shakopee), Mom's Landscaping and Design (Shakopee), Mother Earth Gardens (Minneapolis), Otten Bros. Nursery and Landscaping (Long Lake), Peterson Produce (Delano), Prairie Restorations (Scandia and Princeton), the Mustard Seed (Chaska), Turtle Creek (Owatonna), Uncommon Gardens (Minneapolis) and Wagner Greenhouses (Minneapolis).

Other participating garden centers will accept plastic for recycling only on June 20-21 and Sept. 19-20. For a complete list, visit www.gardenminnesota.com.

KIM PALMER

Veggies in Pots

from: Star Tribune
Last update: May 5, 2009 - 1:14 PM

Even if you don't have a garden plot you can grow your own incredible edibles. All you need is a container, plants, patience and plenty of sun.

PICK YOUR POT• Make sure it has drain holes.
• Clean and dry it before you use it.
• Choose a pot suited to your site. Plastic is lightweight and helps retain moisture. Clay lets roots breath, but can dry out quickly in hot sun. Wood insulates from the heat, but avoid any wood that's been treated with chemicals toxic to plants. Avoid metal. It can heat up and damage plant roots.

GO BIG
When choosing a container, bigger is better. Small containers dry out quickly and plants can cause plants to become root bound.

FILL YOUR POT
Don't use garden soil. It tends to compact and can harbor insects and diseases. Buy a mix designed for containers or make your own mix of peat moss, vermiculite or perlite and completed compost.

WHEN TO PLANT
Cool-weather veggies (peas, radishes, beets, broccoli, carrots and salad greens) should be planted early in the season. Warm-weather veggies (cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, beans, squash and other vines) should be planted in mid- to late May. Planting too early can stunt their growth and reduce your harvest.

LOCATION, LOCATION
Most vegetables need at least six hours of sun a day. Plants that bear fruit require the most sun. If possible, pick a spot that offers some shelter from the wind.

FEED
Container-grown crops need fertilizer. Use a potting mix that contains fertilizer, mix a slow-release fertilizer into the soil when you plant or use a water-soluable fertilizer weekly. To go natural, consider using composted manure, fish emulsion, seaweed extracts or alfalfa, bone or blood meal.

WATER
Water when top inch of soil is dry. You may have to water daily while plants are developing, then twice a day when they bear fruit. Flush the soil of excess salts weekly by watering (without fertilizer) until water drains freely from the pot.

GROW UP OR OUT
Vining vegetables (cucumbers, squash, some peas and beans) can cascade over their containers or be trained to grow vertically by using stakes, a trellis or placing the pot near a railing or fence.

HOW MUCH TO PLANT
A 1-gallon pot (8 inches):
• one cherry tomato plant
• one cabbage
• one rosemary
• two Swiss chard plants
• two to three green bean plants
• two to three smaller herbs (basil, thyme, cilantro, parsley)
• four to six spinach plants or six lettuce plants
A 2-gallon pot (10 inches):
• one eggplant
• one broccoli or cauliflower
• two cucumbers
• two peppers
• four to six beets or carrots
• eight to 10 radishes
A 3-gallon pot (12 inches):
• one tomato (Patio, Jet Star, Early Girl or Celebrity are good in pots)
• one zucchini
• one summer squash

Sources: Larry Cipolla, Executive Board member of the Hennepin County Master Gardeners and chair of State Master Gardeners Advisory Board; Mary Hockenberry Meyer, professor and extension horticulturist with the University of Minnesota; University of Minnesota Extension Service.

Gardeners in Chief?

After success in the White House, the homegrown-food movement lobbies First Families nationwide.

By KIM PALMER, Star Tribune

Gov. Tim Pawlenty has a lot on his plate these days. But a garden-advocacy group thinks he needs something more: home-grown veggies.

Urging states to plant food-producing gardens at governors' official residences is the next mission for Eat the View (www.eattheview.org), a group that spent most of 2008 lobbying for a presidential veggie plot.

That effort was successful. Last month, Michelle Obama publicly dug up part of the South Lawn to put in a vegetable garden, the first at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt's Victory Garden during World War II. The 1,100-square-foot garden will be organic and fertilized with White House compost, and its produce will be used for the Obamas' family meals as well as for formal state dinners.

Eat the View can't take all the credit for the Obamas' new garden, although its "This Lawn Is Your Lawn" campaign played a part, said Roger Doiron, founding director of Kitchen Gardens International, the nonprofit network behind Eat the View. Food scares, the local-food movement and the troubled economy all combined to put vegetable gardening back in the spotlight. "An aligning of the planets made it possible, and we were happy to be one of those planets," he said.

High-profile advocates have been lobbying for a presidential veggie plot for years, Doiron noted. "Michael Pollan [author of 'The Omnivore's Dilemma'] deserves more credit than he's gotten. He wrote an op-ed piece for the New York Times in 1991 suggesting that we remove some of the White House lawn and put in a garden. Alice Waters [the chef who founded California's famed Chez Panisse restaurant] made some headlines in the mid-'90s during the Clinton administration" with a similar plea.

Eat the View used today's technology, including social-networking tools, viral video and an online petition, to create a complete online campaign. "What made this effort successful was that there were 100,000 Americans asking for it," Doiron said. "We need to get closer to our food, for our physical health and the health of the planet. We're trying to get this rippling across the country. We will be reaching out to governors next, to encourage First Families at the state level to follow the Obamas' example."

The Minnesota Governor's Mansion on Summit Avenue in St. Paul has gardens, but grows no veggies, said a woman who answered the phone there. "We have discussed it," said the woman, who declined to give her name, saying she wasn't an official spokesperson for Pawlenty. "But we don't know where we would put it. It's kind of a shady spot."

Digging Obama's Garden?

The Obamas have decided to dig up a 1,100 square foot patch of the South Lawn at the White House to plant an organic vegetable garden. The garden will be the first at the White House since Elenor Roosevelt's victory garden in World War II.

While the garden will provide food for the first family's meals, they're collectively looking at the bigger picture. "My hope is that through children, they will begin to educate their families and that will, in turn, begin to educate our communities" Michelle Obama explained.

For starters, 23 fifth graders from the Bancroft Elementary School in Washington will help the first lady dig up the soil in a spot that will be visible to passers-by. They will also help harvest and cook the veggies, berries, and herbs from the garden. After all, the student have had a garden at the school since 2001.

The garden itself will include 55 varieties of vegetables grown from organic seedlings with a total cost $200. Cilantro, tomatillos, and hot peppers will be grown for their love of Mexican cuisine. Red romaine, green oak leaf, butterhead, and galactic are among the varieties of lettuces that will be present in the garden. There will also be spinich, chard, collards, black kale, multiple varieties of herbs, and a berry patch for desserts.

The organic garden has taken on political and environmental symbolism to those who believe that growing food locally and organically can lead to healthier eating habits and reduce reliance on industrial farms that use oil for transportation and chemicals for fertilizer.

Six Considerations for Choosing a Hobby Greenhouse

By: Roger Hintze

Thinking of purchasing a hobby greenhouse? Here are a few things to consider before you take the leap.

Are you going to be using the house the year around, and in what type of climate? The reason for this is to know the R value (insulation) of the material that covers the house. If it is really thin and the winter temperature is going to fall below freezing or more you might want to consider what it's going to cost to heat the house. Some of the choices available include glass, single wall polycarbonate or twin or triple wall polycarbonate. The multi-layer polycarbonates are the better choice for northern climates.

Where are you going to place the house? Is it in an area that receives adequate sunlight? Many of the flowering plants require at least six hours of sunlight per day. If you place the house too close to the north side of a building or other stable object remember that the angle of the sun will decrease as the season moves toward December and shadows will become longer. Think ahead as to where you want the entrance door to face. If you are planning on operating the house during the winter you may not want to place the entrance door on the north side. Houses generally are placed with the length oriented in an east-west fashion. This takes advantage of the low angle of the sun in the winter.

Are you going to need a building permit from your local government? Check with your city or county offices for existing building codes.

Heating and ventilation considerations are important. If you will be installing a heating system you will need to decide on your source of energy -natural gas, LP gas, electric or fuel oil. You will need to size the heater, which is calculated according to the type of your house covering and the extreme external temperatures encountered during the heating season. As for ventilation, moving the air within the house is usually not enough. You will need a wall mounted fan that pulls in fresh air from the outside and an opposite mounted fan to exhaust the hot air to the outside. Another choice would be movable roof vents, which can be thermostatically opened when the temperature reaches a pre-determined level. Fans will also need to be sized according to the amount of the air volume in the house.
Foundations. Houses will need to be secured to the ground so that they don't blow away in windy weather. There are several choices to do this. Foundations can be made by pouring a cement slab, driving anchor stakes into the ground or attaching the house to a wood beam base.

Additional considerations. If you are installing heating and/or ventilation, supplemental lighting or devices for adding humidity you will need to run electrical power to the house. If you are operating the house the year around and don't want to physically carry pails of water you will want to install a pressurized water source. In areas where it doesn't freeze you can run surface pipes or hoses from a main source of water. Unless you are growing plants in the ground there will be a need for some form of benches on which to place your plants. In order to cut down on the intense summer sun you have a couple of choices-woven shade cloth made with various percentages of shade or liquid reflective shade compound that can be sprayed onto the roof. Finally, there will be a need for plant containers, soil mixes and fertilizers. And, you will need a source for seeds and living plant material. Be informed too, that you will never have enough space. Consider purchasing a house for which there are available incremental additions that can added to your existing space.

Roger Hintze has BS and MS degrees in Ornamental Horticulture from the University of Minnesota and has been employed by J R Johnson Supply for 40 years. J.R. Johnson Supply headquartered in Roseville, Minnesota is a horticulture supplier and has over 30,000 items available in its on-line store. Specialties include soil media, containers, pesticides, fertilizers, irrigation equipment, nursery supplies, greenhouse supplies, organic growing supplies, generic chemicals, and landscape or retail garden center supplies. In additional to hobby greenhouses, Jr Johnson is selling a number of products for the garden hobbiest, including raised garden beds, backyard compost bins, compost aerators, rain barrels and compost tea brewers