Summer/Winter Gardening
Tod and Jamie Hanley aren’t the only Oklahoma gardeners looking for ways to beat the summer heat, but their solution is original: they garden in winter instead, using homemade hoop houses.
On Sunday, September 14, from 2 to 6, the Hanleys will treat visitors to their Trebuchet Gardens in Norman to a hands-on workshop. They’ll demonstrate how to build low-cost, high-profit hoop houses.
“I want people to see just how quick and easy it is,” says Tod Hanley.
A hoop house works like a greenhouse, but without powered heat or ventilation. The Hanleys’ design keeps their crops happy, weathers the elements, and keeps costs down.
That lets the Hanleys extend their growing season, harvesting warm-weather crops earlier and later than other growers, and keeping cold-hardy ones going all winter long.
At the field day, they will go through the process of building one of their hoop houses.
“We’re going to bend some pipes, put in rebar. It’ll be very how-to,” Tod says.
“I’m not an expert on hoop houses,” he says. “I just tried a bunch and looked at a lot that fell down.”
Their hoop houses have withstood 50 mile-per-hour winds that demolished commercial versions, and come cheaper.
To cut expenses, the pair used a homemade pipe bender to form their own hoops from straight tubing that cost three times less than pre-formed hoops.
Three years ago, the Hanleys built their three 17′ by 100′ hoop houses for $600 each, while commercial versions were selling for over $1000.
Growing produce on less than a third of an acre, the couple makes weekly deliveries to individual customers. They also sell to local health and natural food stores.
Registration for the workshop includes an Oklahoma-grown dinner and costs $10, due by September 11. The event will be held rain or shine;
bring a lawn chair and wear outdoor shoes. Register at www.kerrcenter.com or 918.647.9123.
The Kerr Center is sponsoring the workshop together with the Oklahoma
Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry, in partnership with the
USDA Risk Management Agency.
October 11th, 2009 at 7:30 am
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