8/28/2009 news release from the New York Farm Viability Institute featuring High Tunnels project led by Chris Wien:
The opportunity to extend New York’s growing season, and produce crops that are bigger, better looking and higher yielding has many growers considering high tunnels.
“Living in the northeast, we have a lot of weather that is not good for growing crops. The more high tunnels I can put up, the more I will,’’ said Zaid Kurdieh, owner of Norwich Meadows Farm, in Norwich, NY. …
For the past few years, Cornell University has been conducting on-farm research trials to be able to make recommendations about production practices, crops, varieties, pest management, economics, and more. An outreach campaign to share information with farmers includes field days, a website, blog, farm visits by Cooperative Extension educators, and more. …
“A cool, wet season is a good argument for high tunnels, especially if you are growing warm-season crops – tomatoes, eggplants, and so on,” said Judson Reid, a vegetable specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension.
The chance to increase yields, or attract premium prices for, say, fresh and local lettuce in April, or strawberries in September, has attracted the interest of numerous growers and start-up farmers.
Visit Cornell High Tunnels website.