2018 ASHS Annual Conference

High Tunnels in the Southeast Growing in Number and Value. W.B. Evans* and L. Jett. Up In farms Food Hub, Jackson, MS 39056. bill@upinfarms.com.

In 2006, there were very few high tunnels in the southeastern U.S. Since that time, hundreds of acres of tunnels have been set in the region bringing production, income and opportunity to large and small farmers. Every state in the south now has high tunnels, with Florida recently reporting 186 acres of installed tunnels. Nearly every land grant institution has installed tunnels to support research, teaching and extension programming now. University research completed or underway include cultivar trials, crop timing, budgeting, organic production, cover crop. With exceptions like Florida’s growing blueberry tunnel production, most high tunnels in the southeast are installed on smaller farms, with hundreds of single bay ranges scatted across each state. USDA NRCS offices throughout the south have provided funding to support many of these smaller installations. These have also served as capacity building vehicles for small and limited-resource farms. Tunnels are being used to raise organic and non-organic vegetables, herbs, cut flowers and fruit. Grower training and success continues to build with partnerships between grower groups, non-government agencies, state agriculture departments and universities.