EXT XFS.0024 - Introduction to high tunnel vegetable production
Description
Are you new to growing in high tunnels? Join us for a nine week course to learn about the fundamentals of high tunnel vegetable production. The goal of this course is to help you develop a plan for managing your high tunnel that includes: choosing crops to grow, designing an irrigation system, managing soil fertility and soil health, managing weeds, insects, and diseases, planning for pruning and trellising, special considerations for harvest and postharvest handling, and keeping up with basic maintenance. By the end of our nine weeks together, you should have an actionable high tunnel plan that you can use to guide you through the season.
The course meets weekly on Zoom from noon -1:30 p.m. from February 3 - March 31, 2026. We will have a series of optional field trips this summer to accompany the online portion of the course, including trips to farms that successfully use high tunnels, and some hands-on workshops in St. Paul. The course is taught by Natalie Hoidal (UMN Extension) and Erik Heimark (Maple Ridge Produce and Renewing the Countryside), along with farmer co-presenters.
Farmers who complete the course will be eligible to receive a $300 scholarship to implement their high tunnel plans. These scholarships are provided thanks to the generous support of a grant from the United State's Department of Agriculture's Organic Research, Education, and Extension Programs.
This course is intended for growers who are in their first 1-2 years of high tunnel production, or who plan to build a high tunnel this year. If you do not yet have a high tunnel, this course may be too technical or specific to meet your needs.
If you have questions about this workshop contact
Natalie Hoidal, hoida016@umn.edu
Erik Heimark, erik@rtcinfo.org
Registration questions
Extension Registration, ext-reg@umn.edu
If you experience difficulties logging in
Contact the University of Minnesota IT Help Line at 612-301-4357. Please mention you are using a "guest account," to register for a non-credit Canvas course.