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Farm Tour to Highlight Season Extension Using High TunnelsTwilight Tour Set for Sept. 26 in Garrett CountyGarrett County, MD - Fruit and vegetable farmers looking to improve their strawberry and raspberry production and increase profits through season extension should mark their calendars for a fall twilight tour that will demonstrate high tunnel technology. High tunnels – unheated pipe-framed structures – offer multiple production options, such as later production in the fall and earlier starts in the spring. The tunnels have been especially popular for growing small fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, greens and peppers.The Sept. 26 tour will run from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and will start at Dan Yoder’s farm in Oakland, Md. There, tour participants will view five-year-old raspberry plants in a high tunnel compared to five-year-old raspberry plants grown outside. The Yoders have produced world-class fruit with outstanding yields. Tour-goers will then move to the farm of Cheryl and Charles DeBerry, also in Oakland, where they will see a comparison of “day-neutral” strawberry production. Working with University of Maryland researchers, the DeBerrys are comparing day-neutral production both inside a high tunnel and outdoors. The production trial, which follows conservation-oriented production methods, was funded by a Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) grant that examines organic day-neutral strawberry in an annual production system. “High-tunnel technology is an increasingly popular way to both extend the season and produce high-quality fruit,” said Mark Davis, president of Future Harvest, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting profitable and sustainable food and farming systems in the Chesapeake Bay region. Future Harvest is co-sponsoring the twilight tour with Maryland Cooperative Extension. The farm families will be joined by Willie Lantz, Garrett County extension educator, and Harry Schwartz, University of Maryland associate professor, who will speak about the benefits of high tunnels for berry production and their plans to conduct day-neutral trials. Davis will also be on hand for information about high tunnels and the Future Harvest. To register or for more information, call the Maryland Cooperative Extension office in Garrett County at (301) 334-6960. Dan Yoder’s farm is located at 2108 Pleasant Valley Road, Oakland, MD and the DeBerry Farm is located at 215 Deberry Lane (Rt. 219 – 2 miles north of Oakland), Oakland, MD.
Future Harvest-CASA
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