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Growing Year Round Vegetables like a Pro!
- 1. Profitable Summer & Winter Crops in High Tunnels
- 2. This talk will be on my blog.. www.michael-kilpatrick.com
- 3. Background • Ran Kilpatrick Family Farm 2004-2015 • Have interned at Polyface, Inc, Pleasant Valley Farm, collaborated with Eliot Coleman, others. • Now consult full-time for clients/companies from Alaska to New York • Work with Four Season Tools as an Agricultural Consultant.
- 4. Passionate about… • Helping small farms become sustainable and effective businesses • Four season farming and season extension • Slow Tools and machinery outfitting for small farms
- 5. We were in Middle Granville, NY - an hour north of Albany, NY Zone 4b
- 7. 12-15 acres in vegetables
- 8. 25-30 Acres in Cover Crop
- 9. 8 full time employees
- 11. 1/3rd acre of Tunnels
- 13. 3,000 yards of compost annually
- 22. 4 Summer Markets
- 23. 3 winter markets
- 24. Income $450000+ Farmer’s Market Restaurant CSA 21% gross profit margin
- 27. ITem Number crop variety Days Seed date plant date container Co mpa ny Have seed ? See ds ord ere d se ed s per cel l Plant s/ Seed s need ed Field bed feet row s per bed 2120 Artichoke Imperial Star 3/1 5/16 20 row> 3" JSS 1 250 450 1 2015g Arugula Astro 2/8 JSS Y Tomato house 3 50 5 2015g Arugula Astro 3/1 JSS y Haygrove 3 100 4 2015g Arugula Astro 4/4 JSS Y lb TW 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 4/11 JSS Y TW 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 4/18 JSS Y TW 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 4/25 JSS Y TW 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 5/2 JSS Y TW 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 5/9 JSS Y TW 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 5/16 JSS Y TW 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 5/23 JSS Y TW 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 5/30 JSS Y TW 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 6/6 JSS Y TW 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 6/13 JSS Y TW 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 6/20 JSS Y TW 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 6/27 JSS Y TW 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 7/4 JSS Y GR 4 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 7/11 JSS Y GR 4 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 7/18 JSS Y GR 4 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 7/25 JSS Y GR 4 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 8/1 JSS Y TW 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 8/8 JSS Y TW 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 8/15 JSS Y TW 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 8/22 JSS Y TW 25 4 2015g Arugula Astro 8/29 JSS Y Bottom 100 12 2015g Arugula Astro 9/5 JSS Y Bottom 100 12 2015g Arugula Astro 9/12 JSS Y Bottom 150 12 3021BO Arugula Ice-Bred 9/17 FS oz Bottom 200 12 3021BO Arugula Ice-Bred 9/22 FS Bottom 200 12 3021BO Arugula Ice-Bred 9/26 FS Bottom 200 12 3021BO Arugula Ice-Bred 10/1 FS Haygrove 4 50 12
- 28. Time 3/1 3/15 4/1 4/15 5/1 5/15 6/1 6/15 BED 1 strawberries 1st half/ strawberries 1st half strawberries 1st half/ lettuce mix/ mesclun xx strawberries 1st half/ lettuce mix/ mesclun strawberries 1st half/ lettuce mix/ mesclun strawberries 1st half/ lettuce mix/ mesclun strawberries 1st half/ lettuce mix/ mesclun basil BED 2 transplanted turnips and radishes- radishes in center of bedxx transplanted turnips and radishes- radishes in center of bed transplanted turnips and radishes- radishes in center of bed transplanted turnips and radishes- radishes in center of bed Cukes in center of bed turnips finishing up on edges Cukes in center of bed turnips finishing up on edges cukes cukes BED 3 Arugula/ mesclunxx Arugula/ mesclun Arugula/ mesclun beans beans beans/ tomatoes in center of bed beans/ tomatoes in center of bed beans/ tomatoes in center of bed BED 4 Swiss chard, mustards, pac choi, hon tsai tai xx Swiss chard, mustards, pac choi, hon tsai tai Swiss chard, mustards, pac choi, hon tsai tai Swiss chard, mustards, pac choi, hon tsai tai peppers peppers peppers peppers Haygrove 2011
- 33. Time 3/1 3/15 4/1 4/15 5/1 5/15 6/1 6/15 BED 1 strawberries 1st half/ strawberries 1st half strawberries 1st half/ lettuce mix/ mesclun xx strawberries 1st half/ lettuce mix/ mesclun strawberries 1st half/ lettuce mix/ mesclun strawberries 1st half/ lettuce mix/ mesclun strawberries 1st half/ lettuce mix/ mesclun basil BED 2 transplanted turnips and radishes- radishes in center of bedxx transplanted turnips and radishes- radishes in center of bed transplanted turnips and radishes- radishes in center of bed transplanted turnips and radishes- radishes in center of bed Cukes in center of bed turnips finishing up on edges Cukes in center of bed turnips finishing up on edges cukes cukes BED 3 Arugula/ mesclunxx Arugula/ mesclun Arugula/ mesclun beans beans beans/ tomatoes in center of bed beans/ tomatoes in center of bed beans/ tomatoes in center of bed BED 4 Swiss chard, mustards, pac choi, hon tsai tai xx Swiss chard, mustards, pac choi, hon tsai tai Swiss chard, mustards, pac choi, hon tsai tai Swiss chard, mustards, pac choi, hon tsai tai peppers peppers peppers peppers Haygrove 2011
- 34. 8/1 8/15 9/1 9/15 10/1 10/15 11/1 11/15 12/1 basil basil basil basil spinach spinach spinach spinach spinachxx cukes cukes broccolini/ broccoli raab/boc choi broccolini/ broccoli raab/boc choi broccolini/ broccoli raab/boc choi broccolini/ broccoli raab/boc choi broccolini/ broccoli raab/boc choi broccolini/ broccoli raab/boc choixx tomatoes tomatoes tomatoes tomatoes lettuce lettuce lettuce lettuce lettucexx peppers peppers peppers peppers Arugula/ lettuce Arugula/ lettuce Arugula/ lettuce Arugula/ lettuce Arugula/ lettucexx Haygrove 2011 fall
- 35. 664 Radish Rover 2/7 2/28 JSS 3 3600 1200 200 3 Haygrove 2 2015g Arugula Astro 3/1 JSS y 100 4 Haygrove 3 brassica 1C Mesclun, GreenhouseMixed 28 3/1 0 16000.0 100 8 Haygrove 3 brassica 702 Swiss Chard, Greenhouseruby red 3/1 JSS 0 3600 50 6 Haygrove 2 beet 706 Turnip Hakuri 1/24 3/1 200 sp JSS 4 3200 800 200 2 Haygrove 2 Greens, GreenhouseMixed 45 1/24 3/7 200 speedling Haygrove 4 138 Greens, GreenhouseHon Tsai Tai 37 2/8 3/7 200 speedling 2 532 266.0 50 4 Haygrove 4 2460 Greens, GreenhouseBlack summer45 2/8 3/7 200 speedling 1 266 266.0 50 4 Haygrove 4 1C Mesclun, GreenhouseMustards 28 1/25 3/7 3 780 260.0 50 4 Haygrove 4 703D Swiss Chard Bright Lights 1/28 3/15 200 speedlingJSS 1 300 300 100 3 Hoophouse 664 Radish Rover 3/28 JSS 50 M 1 7200 7200 150 4 Bottom 9 radish 706 Turnip Hakuri 2/14 3/28 200 sp JSS 4 1600 400 50 4 Bottom 8 1B Lettuce, GreenhouseMixed 45 1/3 4/1 200 speedling 0 600.0 50 6 Mixed ITem Numb er crop variety DaysSee d dat e plant date container Co mpa ny H a v e s e e d ? See ds ord ere d s e e d s p er c el l Plant s/ Seed s neede d Plant s neede d bed feet row s per bed Field Plate S
- 36. 9/1 9/15 10/1 10/15 11/1 11/15 12/1 Tomato Tomato Tomato spinach spinach spinach spinachxx Tomato Tomato Tomato boc choi, asian greens, swiss chard- interplanted boc choi, asian greens, swiss chard- interplanted boc choi, asian greens, swiss chard- interplanted boc choi, asian greens, swiss chard- interplanted Tomato Tomato Tomato mesclun mesclun mesclun mesclunxx Tomato Tomato Tomato lettuce lettuce lettuce lettuce Ginger Ginger Ginger spinach spinach spinach spinachxx Long House Fall
- 44. Growth rates 0 5 10 15 20 1/1 2/1 3/1 4/1 5/1 6/1 7/1 8/1 9/1 10/1 11/1 12/1 Outdoors Greenhoue
- 45. We need to make $40,000 an acre Also need to make at least $40 an hour picking the crop Works out to be $4.50 a bed ft
- 46. Acclimating Greens to Cold
- 49. 0 7.5 15 22.5 30 October November December January No Heat Heated this transition is what kills them- bring temps down slowly
- 54. Spinach
- 55. seed trans plant Location Type Sales date 9/1 raised field bedsbaby November 9/1 hoophouse full sizeFebruary 10/10 High-tunnel baby December/January 10/6 11/6High-tunnel full sizeEmergency Spinach Successions
- 60. seed trans plant Location Type Sales date 9/1 raised field bedsbaby November 9/1 hoophouse full sizeFebruary 10/10 High-tunnel baby December/January 10/6 11/6High-tunnel full sizeEmergency Spinach Successions
- 61. • Hoophouse spinach is seeded by September 1st • fertilized and weeded 3 weeks later with soybean meal • preferredVarieties are Space, Pigeon, Donkey • Spinach makes around $300,000 an acre
- 65. Spinach Successions seed trans plant Location Type Sales date 9/1 raised field bedsbaby November 9/1 hoophouse full sizeFebruary 10/10 High-tunnel baby December/January 10/6 11/6High-tunnel full sizeEmergency
- 67. seed trans plant Location Type Sales date 9/1 raised field bedsbaby November 9/1 hoophouse full sizeFebruary 10/10 High-tunnel baby December/January 10/6 11/6High-tunnel full sizeEmergency Text Spinach Successions
- 69. Seeded Baby Spinach • Seeded by October 10th • seeded at 30 seeds per ft with rows 8” apart • Pigeon or Red Kitten (for Christmas Spinach)
- 72. •Red Kitten or Red Cardinal •Faster regrowth 4-5 cuttings during our growing season •does bolt faster in the spring •really good flavor!
- 74. Spinach trial
- 77. Giant winter big and floppy
- 79. Favorite winter varieties •Space •Tyee •Giant Winter •Pigeon •Racoon
- 82. Mesclun
- 84. • Seeded around 30 of September • start harvest mid November • will cover with mini tunnels before snow for harvest until christmas
- 85. SL 0 30 60 90 120 1 2 3 4 Growth in March
- 87. we’re finding that 4-5 inches is best for row spacing
- 90. For mid- winter replantings (usually after lettuce), we will come in with transplants ( 6” x 6” spacing seeded 5-8 seeds per cell)
- 91. • Black Summer • Red choi • Yukina Savoy • Red Komatsuna • Hong Vit • Tokyo Bekana • Purple Mizuna • Kyona Mizuna • Ruby Streaks Mustard • Garnet Giant Mustard • Golden Frill Mustard • Fordhook Giant Chard • Red Cardinal spinach MesclunVarieties
- 93. Tokyo Bekana
- 96. Komatsuna
- 99. Braising greens braising greens is mesclun in the “teenage” stage or 8”-10” tall. In early spring we usually can’t keep up with the growth of the greens and then just cut and bunch individual varieties. We’ll even bunch it after it has flowered!
- 100. Braising greens Pictures courtesy of Johnnys Seeds
- 101. Arugula
- 102. Upland Cress
- 103. Mache
- 104. Preventing Steminess
- 107. Over-wintering of greens can be successful with proper hardening off- these went through -20 F and survived
- 110. Microgreens
- 111. Days to harvest
- 125. • v
- 126. Kale
- 127. Variety seed transp lant Location Fall Kale Jul 5, 2011 8/4Field Baby field kale September 15-30 Field Greenhouse Kale Aug 4, 2011 9/1High tunnel
- 137. Variety seed transp lant Location Fall Kale Jul 5, 2011 8/4Field Baby field kale September 15-30 Field Greenhouse Kale Aug 4, 2011 9/1High tunnel
- 141. Variety seed transp lant Location Fall Kale Jul 5, 2011 8/4Field Baby field kale September 15-30 Field Greenhouse Kale Aug 4, 2011 9/1High tunnel
- 144. Variety seed transplant Location Bright Lights 8/1 Field/mini-houses Bright Lights 8/10 10/13High tunnel Bright Lights 8/10 10/28High tunnel Fordhook giant 9/10 high tunnel Swiss Chard
- 147. Variety seed transplant Location Bright Lights 8/20 field, cut and store Bright Lights 8/10 10/13High tunnel Bright Lights 8/10 10/28High tunnel Fordhook giant 9/10 high tunnel Swiss Chard
- 151. Variety seed transplant Location Bright Lights 8/1 Field/mini-houses Bright Lights 8/10 10/13High tunnel Bright Lights 8/10 10/28High tunnel Fordhook giant 9/10 high tunnel Swiss Chard
- 152. Baby Swiss Chard
- 153. Lettuce Mix
- 154. seed transplant Location Sales date 7/28 9/5raised field November 8/10 9/27Haygrove December 9/25Direct unheated house January, February 10/5Direct unheated house March 1/10Direct high-tunnel April
- 155. Varieties • need Downy Mildew Tolerant (DMT) varieties • Johnnys 5 star mix (192) good place to start • like sulu, concept, magenta, winter density
- 160. seed transplant Location Sales date 7/28 9/5raised field November 8/10 9/27Haygrove December 9/25Direct unheated house January, February 10/5Direct unheated house March 1/10Direct high-tunnel April
- 164. seed transplant Location Sales date 7/28 9/5raised field November 8/10 9/27Haygrove December 9/25Direct unheated house January, February 10/5Direct unheated house March 1/10Direct high-tunnel April
- 165. Lettuce Mix • Lettony • Sulu • spock • Gaviotta • Bolsachica • DMR mix
- 175. Head Lettuce
- 176. Variety seed transplant Location Multiple 8/1 9/1field Multiple 8/8 9/8field Multiple 8/15 9/15field
- 178. Asian Greens
- 180. Variety seed transpla nt Location Pac choi 8/20 9/16 field Pac choi 8/25 9/30 haygrove Brocolli Raab 9/9 10/21 haygrove Pac choi 9/9 10/15 high tunnel Vitamin Green 9/9 10/15 High tunnel Tokyo Bekana 9/9 10/15 High tunnel Yukina savoy 9/9 10/15 High tunnel Mix 1/15 2/20 Hoophouse
- 183. Variety seed transpla nt Location Pac choi 8/20 9/16 field Pac choi 8/25 9/30 haygrove Brocolli Raab 9/9 10/21 haygrove Pac choi 9/9 10/15 high tunnel Vitamin Green 9/9 10/15 High tunnel Tokyo Bekana 9/9 10/15 High tunnel Yukina savoy 9/9 10/15 High tunnel Mix 1/15 2/20 Hoophouse
- 190. Variety seed transpla nt Location Pac choi 8/20 9/16 field Pac choi 8/25 9/30 haygrove Brocolli Raab 9/9 10/21 haygrove Pac choi 9/9 10/15 high tunnel Vitamin Green 9/9 10/15 High tunnel Tokyo Bekana 9/9 10/15 High tunnel Yukina savoy 9/9 10/15 High tunnel Mix 1/15 2/20 Hoophouse
- 192. Boc ChoiVarieties • Black Summer • Mei Qing Choi • Joi Choi • Red Choi
- 204. Peppers • Almost all done inside now • Ace for green • Carmen, Flavorburst for colored • stake for maximum production
- 207. Hoophouse planting • transplanted through black landscape cloth • 2’ x 2’ spacing • drip under cloth, 1 run per row • plastic put on several days after planting to reduce stress on plants
- 210. Staked 3-4 weeks after planting
- 215. French Beans
- 216. Can be direct seeded in a hoophouse 3rd week of April rows 24” apart seeded with Earthway seeder
- 218. Transplanting • 2-3 seeds per cell, planted as a multi-plant • Transplants need to be much smaller (10 days max) • water in well (reduce stress as much a possible) • Maxibel best variety • we transplant 2 rows apart on the bed (plants 12 inches apart) with drip tape down the center
- 221. • Need to pick every 2 days to keep small • Early season beans can command up to $6 lb • 1.6 lbs per bed ft = $9 per bed ft • need consistent irrigation
- 222. Tomatoes • 2 plantings- • the January 30th planting is for our greenhouse red • the Febuary 30th planting is for heirloom and specialty varieties • Our goal has to always stay ahead of the market- we try to be first with the red and when others come in with red move on to rainbow
- 224. Cultural techniques • greenhouse plantings are trellised 2 leaders on the Qlipr System • hoop house plantings are basket-weave with 7 ft rebar in between 8 ft 2 x 2 stakes • we pick into 2 gallon mushroom buckets and sort in washing shed
- 226. Running cherries though the barrel washer to mix, shine, and wash off any copper
- 227. Rainbow Cherries • All the colors of the rainbow • colors are mixed while washing them • customers love them! • we start the season with 1/2 pint for $4 - later in the season we drop to $5 pint
- 228. by the numbers • @ 3 pints per ft we make $12-15/ft • varieties from totally tomatoes, tomato growers supply, johnnys • favorites are chocolate cherry, snow white, green grape, black cherry
- 230. Tomato culture • All are grafted • Maxifort Rootstock • Geronimo, Big Beef, Rebelski • Great White, German Johnson, Black Prince, Cherokee Purple, Indigo rose
- 232. Greenhouse Cukes • seeded in 3 inch pots 4 weeks ahead of plant out date • transplanted 12” apart in a double row down raised bed with 2 drip tubes (cukes love water) • Hortanova is used for trellising - attached to a pipe suspended in the greenhouse • Grosses $160,000 per acre
- 233. Varieties • Socrates- smaller euro type- really good flavor • Tasty Jade- long japanese type, customers love them • Diamant- good pickling variety- really productive • Salt and Pepper- incredible flavor- (Not self- Pollinating • Need to pick self-pollinating varieties because of pollination
- 234. Variety seed transplant Field Diamant 3/28 4/18 Haygrove 2 Tasty jade 3/28 4/18 Haygrove 2 Diamant 7/11 7/25 Haygrove 1 Tasty Jade 7/11 7/25 Haygrove 1 First planting between turnips
- 236. Variety seed transplant Field Diamant 3/28 4/18Haygrove 2 Tasty jade 3/28 4/18Haygrove 2 Diamant 7/11 7/25Haygrove 1 Tasty Jade 7/11 7/25Haygrove 1 Second planting after early greens and lettuce
- 237. Tasty Jade Socrates
- 240. Sunflowers
- 241. Variety Days seed transplant Field Pro cut mix 55 3/15 4/10Haygrove Sunrich 65 3/15 4/10Haygrove sunbright 75 3/15 4/10Haygrove Pro cut mix 55 4/1 4/23Haygrove Sunrich 65 4/1 4/23Haygrove sunbright 75 4/1 4/23Haygrove Pro cut mix 55 4/15 5/6Field Sunrich 65 4/15 5/6Field sunbright 75 4/15 5/6Field sunbright 75 6/20 7/12Last Field
- 243. • transplanted 12” rows, 6” apart. • 2 weeks later we’ll throw down soybean meal for extra nitrogen • start harvesting 6/1 • the sunrich and sun series are two of our favorites • gross is around $130,000
- 245. Seed cut (leaving 3-4 eyes) into trays and cover with soil mix
- 255. Seeded August 1, transplanted October Bridger plants
- 258. Forum Sets work great too
- 263. What else have we tried?
- 264. Yield 4 lbs per bed ft
- 272. Marketing
- 274. Marketing Venues Farmer’s markets CSA Restaurant Buying Club Wholesale
- 275. Why farmer’s Markets? double as CSA drop sites Retail dollar we can sell as much or as little as we want- don’t have to have a pallet of something to sell it Fluidity- adapts quickly to what we need to do
- 276. Farmer’s markets Always show up- rain, snow, sleet, no power... Quality, quality, quality it has to look good enough to eat knowledgeable staff consistency- we plant lettuce 30 times- we want lettuce every week.
- 277. Get on the Board help shape policy move the market into the 20th century preferred spots and market access know whats going on easily
- 278. make sure everything looks full keep moving crop into progressively smaller containers as you sell down
- 279. Big displays
- 281. farmer’s markets allow us to sell perishable items
- 284. The unusual Staying one step ahead of the competition
- 286. Whole foods- masters at display critical zone is from waist to eye level
- 290. Full Displays- no empty dead space
- 296. CSA • Our CSA operates differently in that most members pick up at the markets • The share contains 6-9 items- we usually pick 2 items and the members pick the rest • This is a win-win for both- we can move the crops that we have extra of while they get to pick to suit their diet
- 297. Connect with us! @michaelkilpatrick21 Michael Kilpatrick www.michael-kilpatrick.com grow@michael-kilpatrick.com