Winter Production and High Tunnels Track Offered at KSFM Conference for Vendors

While buying local has become a priority for many consumers, restaurants and institutions over the past several years, buying local and fresh beyond the typical market season of May to October has proven to be a challenge. As more producers are erecting high tunnels, markets are extending their seasons–some even moving towards winter markets.

The Kansas Farmers Market Conference for Vendors Winter Production and High Tunnel Track will provide growers with much needed information and inspiration on extending their growing and selling season.

Chuck Waibel and Carol Ford, conference featured speakers, are owners of Garden Goddess Enterprises and the authors of the recently published Northlands Winter Greenhouse Manual. Chuck and Carol have evolved from CSA subscribers in 2002 to owners of a passive solar greenhouse with a winter CSA of their own today. Along the way, their adventure inspired many others around the country to explore winter production. Carol and Chuck have consolidated what they've learned into their new book and are looking forward to sharing their knowlegde with Kansas growers.

Chuck and Carol will present the following sessions at the KSFM Conference for Vendors:

The Story of Garden Goddess
Chuck Waibel and Carol Ford of Milan, Minnesota, missed the fresh vegetables of Summer and decided to do something about it. They designed and built a first-of-its kind solar powered greenhouse, from which they provide fresh vegetables for not only themselves, but over a dozen families, in the cold, windy Minnesota Winter! Talk with them about the whys and wherefores of what they call "Winter's tastiest miracle." 60 minutes

Designing Structures for Deep Winter Growing
Chuck Waibel of Milan, Minnesota, talks about designing a new kind of greenhouse for energy-efficient deep winter growing. Seeing that most greenhouses are designed assuming cheap and abundant energy, he developed a different design philosophy "from the ground up." He will explain the basics of that philosophy, and how he applied it to the Garden Goddess Greenhouse. 60 minutes

Winter Horticulture, Growing in the Cold and White
Carol ford of Milan, Minnesota, is the "Garden Goddess." She has learned that growing food in the depth of Winter is very different from growing in the Summer. She will share her techniques and insights from years of research and practical experience, including best plant varieties, soil mixes, scheduling, and the "Three Seasons of Winter." 60 minutes

The topic of high tunnels will be covered at the conference by Dan Nagengast, KRC's executive director. Dan has been involved in research and education on high tunnels since 2004. Together with his wife, Lynn Byczynski, he has grown produce and flowers in four hoop houses at Wild Onion Farm outside of Lawrence.

High Tunnels from A to maybe M or N
Dan Nagengast
An introduction to high tunnel construction, use, crops and research going on in Kansas and the Midwest. 60 minutes

Register for the 2010 Kansas Farmers Market Conference for Vendors