April 28th
The sun is peaking through the clouds and Lissa and I took full advantage! The second the sun comes out you can really feel a difference in the hoop houses, it is pretty amazing how much heat gets trapped inside. The
first hoop house is covered with a single sheet of plastic but has a very unique heating system. Since we all know that heat rises...this large tube sucks warm air from the top of the greenhouse distributes it through a manifold the length on the greenhouse and then shoots it through 36 tubes that are run under the soil to the other side of the greenhouse. This not only circulates the air but also heats the soil. There is no need for propane heaters in this house, even on the coldest nights this house can stay about 5-10 degrees warmer than the air outside.
This green house is pretty special in some other ways as well; there are 32 sensors in the green house that measure temperature and moisture. There are sensors at the end of each row measuring how wet the ground is, when the ground needs water the irrigation is turned on, when the sensors get to cold that special heating system kicks on. The best part is that this can all be controlled and manipulated in your pajamas. Thanks to a company out of Minneapolis called
Control Stuff, John and Lissa can sit down at their computer and see exactly what is happening in the greenhouse in real time and adjust it depending on the weather. The new hoop house is not that sophisticated but since they are only about 15 feet away from each other it is safe to assume what is happening in the
first green house is most likely happening in the
second one.
A few artistic touches around the farm...
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| A very cool cement leaf, we will be making more this summer so keep reading to find out how to make your own. |
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| An awesome mosaic made by Lissa and framed with old barn wood by John |
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| Tulips blooming in the hoop house |
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| The first bouquet of tulips |
The sun is peaking through the clouds and Lissa and I took full advantage! The second the sun comes out you can really feel a difference in the hoop houses, it is pretty amazing how much heat gets trapped inside. The first hoop house is covered with a single sheet of plastic but has a very unique heating system. Since we all know that heat rises...this large tube sucks warm air from the top of the greenhouse distributes it through a manifold the length on the greenhouse and then shoots it through 36 tubes that are run under the soil to the other side of the greenhouse. This not only circulates the air but also heats the soil. There is no need for propane heaters in this house, even on the coldest nights this house can stay about 5-10 degrees warmer than the air outside.
This green house is pretty special in some other ways as well; there are 32 sensors in the green house that measure temperature and moisture. There are sensors at the end of each row measuring how wet the ground is, when the ground needs water the irrigation is turned on, when the sensors get to cold that special heating system kicks on. The best part is that this can all be controlled and manipulated in your pajamas. Thanks to a company out of Minneapolis called Control Stuff, John and Lissa can sit down at their computer and see exactly what is happening in the greenhouse in real time and adjust it depending on the weather. The new hoop house is not that sophisticated but since they are only about 15 feet away from each other it is safe to assume what is happening in the first green house is most likely happening in the second one. 
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