Can you harvest fresh produce all winter in the Hudson Valley, without using a heated greenhouse? We did! We began in September 2010 and harvested food through the snowiest winter in recent memory. This blog chronicles our successes and challenges.
Using The Winter Harvest Handbook by Eliot Coleman as our guide, we grow greens like chard, kale, arugula and lettuce, and root crops like turnips, radishes, and carrots, in a 24- by 48-foot rolling greenhouse. As the weather cools, we supplement the greenhouse’s warming effect with fabric row covers. The greenhouse (also known as a high tunnel or hoop house) has wheels so that it can be rolled on tracks to an adjacent bed when we want our plants to receive direct sun or rain. This will also allow us to rotate crops from one bed to the other each year.
More details about our project are included in this post from January 2011.
The goal was to provide fresh produce for our four households all winter, and to demonstrate that winter harvesting is possible in this cold region. We succeeded quite well, and for winter 2011-12, we have added a fifth household and will refine our procedures.
I am doing the same in Germantown, NY – not far from you. I am also following Eliot Coleman’s path. The greenhouse is 14×24. I have planted similar vegetables. I will send photo separately. This is my first year.
Frederic
That’s terrific, Frederic. Keep us posted on your progress. We’re happy to hear about other winter harvesters nearby. –LD
This is awesome! I really admire what you are doing.