A small farmer, born and raised in Wayne County, Kentucky, now living and farming in Lincoln County, Kentucky, has a passion for growing vegetables in the field with black plastic-irrigation systems and in high tunnels.

“High tunnels, also called high hoops or hoop houses, are temporary structures that extend the growing season. These covered structures are constructed in the field in order to protect crops from the weather (rain, wind, cool or warm temperatures), as well as in some cases, pests. High tunnels offer an intermediate level of environmental control - a growing system between row covers and greenhouses (https://articles.extension.org/pages/18358/introduction-to-high-tunnels”).

“High tunnel benefits include better plant and soil quality, fewer nutrients and pesticides in the environment, and better air quality due to fewer vehicles being needed to transport crops. More than 500 high tunnels were planned for implementation in Kentucky through this Initiative since 2012 (www.nrcs.usda.gov › … › Environmental Quality Incentives Program”).

The Kentucky State University (KSU) Small Farm Program is an Extension program designed to help farm families with decision-making skills to solve farm and home problems. It includes educational programs that emphasize farm production, farm management, and marketing.  It also includes the use and understanding of local county programs and USDA agencies and their programs, plus providing technical assistance in completing applications for the program and the entire application process.  The KSU Small Farm Program’s Area Agent for Small Farms works with small, limited-resource, and minority farmers, most of whom have not used Extension prior to his intervention.  He targets minority farmers, farmers who are new to Extension, or farmers who think that Extension is not for them.  First he has to gain their confidence.  Then he has to show them that he can help them to meet some of their needs.  This is his experiences with one small farmer.

First, the small farmer (African American) contacted the Area Agent for Small Farms at Kentucky State University, June 2014, to request assistance in getting a microloan with the USDA Farm Service Agency.  After assisting the farmer with the application, it was approved for the microloan requested funds.

Then, the small farmer contacted the Area Agent for Small Farms at Kentucky State University to request assistance in filling out an application with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The application was submitted in June of 2014 and approved by NRCS on February 25, 2016.

After the small farmer was approved for the high tunnel, the Area Agent for Small Farms at Kentucky State University assisted the farmer with technical assistance in getting help to install the high tunnel. The high tunnel was completely installed in October of 2016.  

Based on the farmer’s production and sales records in 2017, the farmer made $2,500 for the vegetables that were grown in the high tunnel.  Then in 2018, the high tunnel vegetable income  was $ 3,000. The farmer is estimating an increase in sales for 2019 by $2000. Additionally, the farmer was able to repay the microloan with Farm Service Agency in a timely manner.

With these sales, the farmer was able to operate his farm independently and produce adequate income to service his debts, maintain his farming operations, and to supplement the family’s expendable income.  

The benefits of growing produce in a high tunnel continues to increase the popularity of the technique, as farmers see an opportunity to extend their growing season, improve produce and soil quality, and reduce energy and pesticide use. These are just some of the benefits that the farmer discovered in the third year of growing in the high tunnel. 

The farmer stated that he has cultivated a strong relationship with the KSU Area Agent for Small Farms and the UK Lincoln County Extension Office over time, and relies on the office for soil testing and advice when it comes to diagnosing produce problems or trying out new growing techniques.