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'A new barn raising' at Genuine Faux Farms
Posted: July 27, 2010
TRIPOLI, Iowa —A new barn raising is how Adam Montri described the moveable high tunnel building workshop he led recently at Rob and Tammy Faux's farm near Tripoli.
Montri, an outreach specialist at Michigan State University and a farmer, conducted the training build for a Practical Farmers of Iowa field day at Genuine Faux Farms. The farm raises vegetables, herbs, chickens and turkeys for a community supported agriculture program and also sell at the farmers market and local stores and institutions.
The two-day workshop actually spreads over three days, Rob Faux said. The Fauxes, Montri, PFI representatives and officials from Four Season Tools, the maker of the High Tunnel, assembled some of the structural steel pieces, laid out the ground track and completed a few other tasks before the workshop began.
Rob Faux said he and Tammy decided to build a movable high tunnel because it gives them the option of rotating crops, maintaining soil fertility and taking advantage of precipitation in summer.
With a movable high tunnel, crops can be started outside. The high tunnel is rolled over them as the weather gets colder. They can start crops inside and then roll the high tunnel away as the weather warms.
Having the high tunnel in a year like 2010 when it rains continuously is appealing. It makes their operation more resilient.
"We want more options for producing food for our CSA members," Rob said. "It helps us to always have food available even when the weather treats us badly."
He hopes to grow spinach, kale, broccoli and tomatoes this fall. In the spring he'll try peas, broccoli, early cucumbers and more greens.
The high tunnel is 30-feet-wide and 72-feet-long. It sits on a track that is 160 feet long. The structure is designed to roll on a V-track that Rob and Tammy moved once the frame was up. They could easily move the building.
The high tunnel's steel frame is covered with 6 Mil plastic sheeting. The side walls are polycarbonate. The structure is designed to stay above 18 to 20 degrees in the coldest months with no supplemental heat.
Rob said the high tunnel will cost about $14,000. It's a big investment but he hopes to have it paid off within two years.
"It is incredible," Tammy Faux said of the new high tunnel. "This will give us so much potential to expand our ability to provide local food. I'm confident with the high tunnel we can grow food 10 to 11 months of the year."
Tammy, wants to plant leeks, lettuce and Swiss chard this fall.
"Look at all the people who are part of this," Tammy said as the workers stopped for dinner after building all day. "I'm super grateful to them all. It's exciting knowing that so many are interested. I think it's the beginning of a revolution."
By Jean Caspers-Simmet, simmet@agrinews.com, 07/22/2010
