In a collaboration between Gathering Together Farm (GTF) and Oregon State University (OSU), three high tunnels (Haygroves) were constructed side by side in January of 2003 on site at GTF. For the last three years, data has been collected in order to analyze high tunnel performance within the context of a diversified organic vegetable farm.
Gathering Together Farm is a 40 acre organic farm in the Willamette Valley that markets produce through a CSA, farmers markets, and direct sales to restaurants. When the high tunnels were constructed in 2003, GTF had 11 smaller greenhouses in use totaling 25,000 square feet. This report summarizes the experiences of the farmers over the three year trial.
Three high tunnels at Gathering Together Farm, Philomath, Oregon. Photo credit: Galen Weston, Tuolumne River Trust
History of high tunnels at GTF
In January of 2001, 5 GTF employees spent 2 full days constructing the three tunnels. In the first growing season, High Tunnel 1 (HT 1) was used for 3 beds of potatoes planted February 15, and two beds of tomatoes planted April 4. High Tunnel 2 (HT 2) contained 1.5 rows of both peppers and eggplants planted May 1, 1 row of basil planted April 20 and 2 rows of zucchini planted April 20. High Tunnel 3 (HT 3) contained 1.5 rows of cucumbers planted June 1, 2.5 rows of tomatoes planted June 1, and 1 row of okra planted June 1.
In 2004, HT 1 was home for 2.5 rows of tomatoes, 2 rows of zucchini, and 0.5 rows of basil all planted on April 25. HT 2 contained salad mix sown in mid February, followed by 2 beds of peppers planted May 1, 1 bed of eggplant planted May 1, 0.5 bed of hot peppers planted May 1, 1 bed of cucumbers planted in June, 1 bed of late basil planted at the end of August, and 1 bed of okra planted June 1. Half of HT 3 was planted to early carrots on February 5 and potatoes in February 5. On June 1, storage tomatoes were planted following the carrots.
In 2005, each tunnel had an early and late crop. HT 1 was seeded with salad mix in mid February, which was harvested during the month of April. Following the salad mix crop, 2 rows each of zucchinis and peppers and 1 row of eggplant were transplanted. In HT 2, carrots were sown on January 9 and again on February 9th. One bed each of peppers and eggplants were transplanted following the potatoes and 3 beds of storage tomatoes were planted on June 1st following the carrots. In HT 3, 2 beds of endive and 3 beds of head lettuce were transplanted on February 20th. Following the lettuce harvest in mid April, 1 bed of basil and 4 beds of tomatoes were transplanted.
Read the full case study here.






Announcements
Job Offers
- Export Sales Manager Europe Division
- Directors - New Zealand
- Nursery Production Manager Victoria Australia
- Technical Sales Consultant, Washington
- Export Sales Manager North America Exports
- Head Grower Hydroponic Greenhouse
- Account Manager – South-East Asia
- Vegetable Seed - EU Sales and Regional Manager
- Business Developer – High Tech Horticulture
- Operations Manager Organic Farm Barka Oman
"Tweeting Growers"
Top 5 -yesterday
- "At the end of the day, everyone has to pay a higher price for the gas”
- Abu Dhabi: $84m contract for building two hydroponic farms
- Oishii opens new product segment by introducing $20 berries
- Australia: Using BioClay technology to protect plants against whitefly
- Young Indian growers look forward to technical tools
Top 5 -last week
Top 5 -last month
- "Honduras greenhouse park to become the largest producer-exporter in the Central American region"
- Netherlands: Codema Systems Group declared bankrupt
- Shanghai: Young people who can't get vegetables start to "help themselves" through hydroponic vegetables
- Canada: Dutch holding company acquires Ontario Plants Propagation
- Google meets agriculture at Go Green Agriculture
Receive the daily newsletter in your email for free | Click here
Other news in this sector:
- 2022-02-24 Consultants in organic farming get to the heart of the matter with growers
- 2022-02-01 U.S. organic produce sales top $9 billion in 2021
- 2021-10-27 Canadian greenhouse grower expands organics program
- 2021-09-27 Organic shoppers demand sustainable packaging
- 2021-09-21 Greenhouse growers present on Organic Produce Summit
- 2021-09-16 The UK horticulture conference created by growers for growers is back!
- 2021-06-03 Booth registration opens for Organic Grower Summit
- 2021-06-01 Pinduoduo embarks on first-of-its-kind study into plant-based meats
- 2021-05-07 Organic pak choi grown in good Dutch soil
- 2021-04-26 The World Food Innovation Awards awards the Monterosa tomato as the best natural and organic product
- 2021-04-23 Strategic organic partnership carries over to upcoming show
- 2021-04-01 "A coherent strategy for organic is essential"
- 2021-03-31 "There are wonderful sustainable initiatives, they are just not organic"
- 2021-03-22 Judge rules: This lettuce can be organic
- 2021-03-08 Regulatory changes expected to restrict smaller companies’ ability to provide beneficial microbes
- 2021-02-01 US: Organic greenhouse tomatoes see increased demand across varieties
- 2021-01-21 Ample organic cauliflower on the market
- 2021-01-11 Both a radish and a root vegetable – the watermelon radish
- 2020-11-09 Eroski develops a new range of organic fruits and vegetables under its own brand
- 2020-11-06 Holiday herb mixes now available