Page 58 - Summer 2019 Journal

Technology as Servant
YEAR-ROUND VEGETABLE GROWING: MORE DOABLE THAN EVER By John Moody
The power of “protected growing spaces”—high tunnels and greenhouses— makes year- round growing easier than ever.
Consider a garden that is about twenty thousand square feet in size (about one-third the size of a football field). Imagine all the food you can grow in that space—lettuces and cab- bages in the cool spring and fall, tomatoes and peppers in the hot summer and all sorts of other things in between.
Now, try to imagine growing just as much food in one-tenth of the space just described— two thousand square feet. Impossible? In many locations, it is not impossible at all. Although many people erroneously believe that there are only a few places with a climate suitable for growing produce year-round, the power of “protected growing spaces”—and especially high tunnels and greenhouses—makes it pos- sible. With the additional support of modern technology, year-round growing is becoming easier than ever, even for a hobby farmer.
MAKING IT LOCAL
Reviewing a few facts about the current
U.S. agricultural model can help illustrate why one might want to grow fresh food year-round. Around 75 percent or more of the nation’s fresh vegetables come from just two valleys in California.1 Even in the organic vegetable market, massive monocultures provide most of the nation’s meals. What is the end result? Not only does this system typify the proverbial (and foolish) strategy of “putting all of our eggs in one basket,” but it also entails food traveling massive miles for every bite of fresh produce and prioritizes varieties selected primarily for transit and shelf stability rather than nutrient density and biodiversity.2 Consolidated grow- ing, processing and handling contribute to a food system that also suffers from massive food safety issues.
A few weeks ago, I walked through Costco and experienced a direct reminder of just how
far and long “fresh food” often travels. Grab- bing a package of organic lettuce, I checked the date—it was over two weeks old! While the produce still looked fresh (courtesy the power of a two-thousand-mile-long cold chain along with other technologies to extend shelf life), we know that quality declines rapidly and sub- stantially for many types of produce once they are detached from the ground. Other stores I checked were little better. Growing produce in your own high tunnel or greenhouse can provide a better option.
THE POWER OF THE SUN
If you have ever had to walk a long dis-
tance to your car during the dead of winter, you probably looked forward to the warmth you were sure to find inside the car, which the sun provides even in subzero temperatures. The same power of the sun that makes a car hot on the coldest of days can keep vegetables growing through the long, dark days of winter.
When we first moved to our property, I was able to witness first-hand just how powerful protected growing spaces could be. I needed some lumber, so I went to an Amish neighbor’s sawmill. Next to the mill, he had a lovely green- house. He asked if I wanted to step inside, as it was a very cold and windy February day in Kentucky, well below freezing. As we stepped inside, my glasses immediately fogged up, ob- scuring my ability to see anything. I took them off and rubbed them with my shirt—and when I put them back on, I swore I had been transported to Central America!
There were trees laden with lemons and limes, bananas (!) and rows and rows of fruits and vegetables from floor to ceiling. I could make a 100 percent locally-grown Kentucky fruit smoothie for the first time! I knew then
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Wise Traditions
SUMMER 2019