News
DCB starts construction of it high tunnels
Scott Wagar
11/15/2011
The Entrepreneurial Center for Horticulture (ECH) at Dakota College at Bottineau has a number of high tunnels being constructed to assist the ECH with its goal of producing vegetables that will be cost-effective for farmers in the vegetable industry.
“There will be a total of seven high tunnels and one greenhouse once the project is completed,” said Holly Rose Mawby, the director of DCB’s Entrepreneurial Center for Horticulture. “Right now we’re just fighting Mother Nature to see how many can be completed, or at least the frames constructed, before Old Man Winter sets in.”
Once the seven high tunnels are completed, one tunnel will be 18 by 24 feet in size, five tunnels which will be 30 by 48 feet in size and one with dimensions of 30 by 96 feet.
One of the 30 by 48 high tunnels will also be fitted with rollers, enabling the ECH staff to move it at will for the projects they will be conducting.
The high tunnels will be heated using passive solar technology and are being constructed using various materials, shapes and sizes.
Wikipedia.com stated that passive solar technology is a design where windows, walls, and floors are constructed to collect, store and distribute solar energy to produce heat in the wintertime months, but withstands solar heat in the summer months.
“It is called passive solar design or climatic design because, unlike other active heating systems, it doesn’t involve the use of mechanical and electrical devices,” Wikipedia.com stated. “The key to designing a passive solar building is to best take advantage of the local climate. Elements to be considered include window placement and glazing type, thermal insulation, thermal mass and shading.”
Mawby stated that the plans for the greenhouse, along with its wash pack facility, is currently being worked out.
The high tunnels will be utilized in a number of ways on the college’s campus.
“They will be used as demonstration for produce across the state,” Mawby stated. “They will also be used to demonstrate season extension techniques, researching proper crop scheduling, researching new vegetable varieties, and the produce will be sold through the college’s 4 Season CSA and hopefully used in the college’s cafeteria.”
Mawby added the high tunnels will also be living lab areas for DCB’s students in the new Sustainable Vegetable Production program, which will start in the spring.
According to DCB, the Sustainable Vegetable Production program at DCB is designed to prepare students for employment opportunities in the industry of organic and specialty vegetables.
The students who earn an Associate of Arts degree or certificate from DCB will be able to earn employment opportunities with small to mid-size ag producers, food co-ops, specialty grocery stores, community supported agriculture (CSA) farms, organic and specialty grocery stores, specialty wholesale produce delivery firms, farmers markets and as entrepreneurs and small business owners.
“The goals of the Sustainable Vegetable Production program are to:
• Further the mission of Dakota College at Bottineau by expanding educational opportunities in horticulture programs.
• Offer a flexible learning environment to prepare students to become qualified professionals in the field of organic and specialty vegetable production.
• Provide continuing education opportunities for producers and growers seeking to update their skills and expand their businesses,” stated DCB.
The ECH has four staff members on the college’s campus, but the ECH will add staff and students to assist in the tunnels.
“The ECH currently has a four member team, which includes the director, an administrative assistant, a farm business management instructor and a farm manager,” Mawby said. “The administrative assistant helps out with harvest as needed, but the farm manager is the one in charge of planting and maintaining the growing. During the growing season, the tunnels will also be staffed with summer temporary help, and a large portion of the coursework for the new sustainable vegetable production program has students working on planting, harvest and maintaining high tunnels.
“Students will be added as they register for the program and summer temporary help will be hired as needed and will be posted on DCB’s website,” Mawby continued to state.
The Entrepreneurial Center for Horticulture is a North Dakota State Center of Excellence and department of Dakota College at Bottineau. Its mission is to assist small to mid-size farmers and vegetable producers to gain efficient and profitable crops.
“The Center’s vision is to commercialize the vegetable production industry in North Dakota by assisting these farmers with production, marketing and distribution and research,” Mawby said.