The Use of High Tunnels In An After-School Garden Program

High tunnels present an economical and practical option for bringing the edible school yard concept to Kansas and other areas where short growing seasons and variable weather present challenges to student participation in gardening. Research at Kansas State University over the last several years on the use of high tunnels in the central Great Plains has determined that high tunnels are well-suited to the local conditions—permitting year-round production of fruit, flower, and vegetable crops, and, relative to the open field, provide a more favorable environment for production of virtually all crops evaluated (see www.hightunnels.org). Gardening inside and outside of high tunnels was incorporated into fall and spring after-school gardening programs at four elementary schools in Kansas as part of a USDA-funded research project testing the use of school garden programs as an overweight and obesity prevention program. A start-to-finish overview from getting the high tunnels built through how they were used will be presented.