Andrew is also the author of The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower’s Handbook, a fantastic new guide to growing things in protected culture. This is a really cool book, short on rah-rah and long on real how-to, and Andrew really lets his plant-nerd flag fly. Much our conversation focused on the lessons that Andrew took from his experience working with large-scale greenhouse growers as the tomato trials guy at Johnny’s Selected Seeds and applied to his own high tunnel operation.
We talk extensively about how to take on some advanced greenhouse growing techniques, without getting too deep into the weeds. Andrew digs into his opinions about the return on investment for increased management in the greenhouse. And he provides some practical tips for extending spring production in the high tunnel, as well as for growing transplants for protected culture.
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Quotes from the Show
At the farmers market is if you get the same question over and over again, it's time to make a sign.
Most of the smaller growers were basically just growing field style in a hoophouse or a greenhouse.
The United States is the number one agricultural exporter in the world and the Dutch are number two.
You don't have to be big to get a lot done, to be productive. All you have to be is smart and efficient.
If you told me that your line was going to cut out in one minute and I have a minute to tell you anything that I'd like to pass on, what I'd like to say is to plant more densely.
Show Links
Growing for Market is the trade publication for market farmers. Farmer to Farmer Podcast listeners can use the code "podcast" at checkout to get 20% off a subscription of your choice.
Andrew raved about Saboten’s compact harvest scissors model 1318. He writes about these and more in his Growing for Market article, Useful Tools for the Hoophouse.