Final report for LNE22-445
Project Information
Because the climate in the Northeast is changing, with more extreme, unpredictable weather events, growers are turning to high-tunnel cultivation to produce vegetables. This ensures a stable supply of local produce and revenues for diversified farmers. Many growers have used high tunnels for decades, but every year more have started with high tunnels less than years ago. These new growers lack knowledge about high-tunnel Best practices (BP). Information on high-tunnel production exists but can be hard to assimilate.
Our project focused on new growers who have been in high-tunnel production for <5 years. We provided educational programs to introduce them to integrated approaches for managing arthropod pests, diseases, and soil fertility in high-tunnel vegetables. This involved multiple approaches to transfer knowledge to growers, including one-on-one training, an online High-Tunnel Production Toolkit contained in a dedicated website, and an on-line newsletter and factsheets. We hosted multiple online and in-person workshops and conferences bringing together new and experienced growers and regional specialists to share knowledge and increase adoption of high tunnel best practices.
Our one-on-one training was particularly effective for encouraging farmers to adopt good practices. Individualized training focused on issues for each grower. One grower said "I really appreciated being part of the SARE grant for new high tunnel users. Our tunnel looks the cleanest and healthiest it has ever looked and our pest issues have been very manageable."
This project brought together an interdisciplinary team of specialists which was critical given the complexity of high tunnel vegetable production. The 2025 grower survey quantified project impact. Over 51% of respondents indicated that knowledge about the use of biocontrol agents increased their crop yields and revenues; 63% said their crop yield and revenues increased due to adopting fertility amendment practices gleaned from our outreach programs.
A comprehensive guide of current BPs is needed compiling the multiple components. Conferences on high-tunnel production are available, but new growers also need individualized, hands-on training tailored to their knowledge and goals, supplemented with web-based educational materials.
Fifty new northern New England vegetable growers will each adopt three recommended best practices (BP) to manage their high-tunnel crops on a total of ~200,000 sq. ft., and 75% will meet their annual economic and crop production goals. BPs will be tailored to their individual production goals, and include scouting for pests, diseases and nutrient deficiencies; handling problems proactively and amending cropping areas based on soil tests.
Problem/Opportunity:
Northeastern climatic conditions are changing. Weather events are more extreme and less predictable. Production within high tunnels extends the growing season and provides more consistent growing conditions, allowing for cultivation of sensitive high-value crops. Growing vegetables in protected environments is critical to ensure a stable supply of locally-grown produce year-round and for the long-term sustainability and economic viability of diversified agriculture in the Northeast. We estimate >18,000 high tunnels cover >36 million sq. ft in the Northeast, with numbers increasing annually aided in part by USDA-NRCS incentive programs.
While some growers have used high tunnels for decades, many are new. The number of young, new and beginning producers in US agriculture is increasing whereby producers in operation for <5 years increased 17% from 2012-2017, particularly in the East, and 25-40% of Northeastern farms were operated by new/beginning producers. Over 11% of producers in six of the 13 Northeastern states were ≤35 years old. Many lack knowledge about unique high-tunnel soil fertility demands and pest/disease management.
Regional surveys of high tunnel growers reported implementation levels for key best practices, showing gaps in adoption to include in future educational programs. For example, most growers did routine scouting and maintained good ventilation, but <50% used beneficials or microbial insecticides, requested pest/disease id from specialists or used trap/indicator/habitat plants; <60% felt confident calculating fertilizer rates, 50% did soil tests, and 30% tested soluble salts.
The project team is frequently contacted by producers with new tunnels, asking for assistance with crop selection, management, and developing water/nutrient and pest management plans. Evaluations from previous events demonstrate that new producers are intimidated by highly technical, advanced discussions and ask for the basics. Best practices (BP) exist for high-tunnel production but are scattered among multiple sites. A guide of current BPs is needed that compiles multiple components together in one site. There are conferences for growers to learn about high-tunnel production, but new growers need one-on-one, hands-on training tailored to their knowledge level and goals, supplemented with web-based educational materials to adopt them. Through this project we met growers where they are, with more basic information and practical resources.
Solution and Approach:
A 3-pronged educational program was used to introduce new growers to integrated approaches for managing arthropod pests, diseases, and soil fertility in high-tunnel vegetables.
1) New VT and NH growers received one-on-one training from team members. Growers identified their crop production/protection goals to ensure the training met their needs. Site visits were held to develop crop production plans. On-farm demonstrations showcased adoption of BPs and connected new and experienced growers to exchange knowledge.
2) Information from grower interactions informed development of educational materials, which was compiled into a High-Tunnel Production Toolkit for new and experienced growers in a user-friendly format.
3) We hosted our New England High Tunnel Conference, continuing a 7-year tradition tailored to growers of all skill levels across the Northeast. Special workshop sessions targeted the needs of new growers. BP adoption was tracked through surveys, event evaluations and personal interviews to determine practices growers felt benefiting their operation in terms of crop yield and quality.
Cooperators
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Research
Education
Our three-pronged educational program introduced new growers to integrated approaches for managing arthropod pests, diseases, and soil fertility in high-tunnel vegetables; while expanding knowledge among experienced growers.
Engagement: Our project team has strong links with growers and ag service providers within their state and regionally, and extensive past and present experience working with growers and participating in educational events. They have worked with growers in multiple capacities, including pest and disease identification; assistance with IPM and soil/crop fertility planning and variety selection; and presenting at state and regional workshops/conferences. These connections helped us recruit new high-tunnel growers for the individualized program; encourage grower attendance at our onsite and online sessions; solicit input on grower production needs; and disseminate resources we produced.
We worked individually with 20 new growers through a multi-step educational program. Growers received intensive support for 1 year with on-site visits, which were phased out over 2 years. As growers came on board they received support via email, telephone and farmer-to-farmer webinars. Educational programs were tailored to needs identified by each grower to ensure they received the assistance they wanted to overcome production challenges. The High Tunnel Toolkit was a compilation of resources (factsheets and videos) to provide information to growers receiving intensive training, and the broader audience of new and experienced high-tunnel growers. The toolkit is accessible online at the UVM high-tunnel website and was designed to be grower-friendly, using brief focused documents or videos with lots of pictures and few words. Sessions within NE high-tunnel conferences were presented that focused on the needs of new high-tunnel growers, drawing on our experiences from growers with whom we work intensively.
Learning: The content of our educational programs was an evolving process based on feedback and input from participating growers and was responsive to their knowledge level. Though we focused on needs of new growers, experienced producers and technical service providers also benefited from our programs.
At the beginning of the project, we relied on information generated from a survey of New England high-tunnel producers conducted by the team. It revealed that many growers did not feel comfortable calculating fertilizer rates, were unsure about irrigation strategies, and were concerned about soluble-salt buildup. Most said that identification tools for diseases and pests, lists of pest-resistant varieties, management tools for specific pests/diseases, and guidelines for high-tunnel fertility management would be useful. The following production issues were identified problems: foliar diseases, insect damage to fruit, and fruit cracking. Growers listed the following resources that would be very helpful: web-based pest management information, action thresholds, lists of resistant plant varieties, identification tools for diseases, pests and nutrient deficiencies, biocontrol guidelines for high tunnels and guidelines for soil fertility and irrigation. All these subjects were included in the toolkit or in newsletter articles and a focus of online and onsite educational events.
This project offered growers of high-tunnel vegetables diverse opportunities to learn from other growers and experts about how to enhance crop yields and quality through refined pest and disease management and improved soil fertility. Below are images of various educational events the project team hosted and participated in.
2023 New England High Tunnel Conference
Carol Glenister, IPM specialist and commercial supplier of natural enemies, demonstrating proper use of a hand lens (top); grower participating in the small group session on identification of pests and beneficials (center) and lecture by a project team member on pest identification (bottom).
Evaluation: For the 20 new growers who received one-on-one training, we conducted pre- and post-season surveys of their production challenges in person or via email or telephone. Pre-season surveys were used to determine their learning goals. Post-season surveys assessed BP adoption and the level of increased learning. Attendees to our conferences were surveyed to determine program content usefulness. Growers were asked how long they had used high tunnels to determine how many new high tunnel growers were reached. Growers were surveyed to determine their educational needs to improve production. They were also asked how they prefer to receive information that helps them manage their high-tunnel production challenges. Results from these surveys will enable us to track changes in adoption of key best practices over time.
Growers who received site visits were asked to rate the knowledge of key IPM practices before taking part in the program. In general, participating growers indicated they had no or slight knowledge about pest id before and somewhat knowledgeable after the program. Growers also indicated they had no or slight knowledge of how to recognize biocontrol agents but after the program they had a moderate knowledge.
Farm visits are an expensive way to affect positive change. Therefore, our multi-faceted project also provided more cost-effective educational methods that reached a larger audience. A website dedicated to high-tunnel production in the Northeast was established and evaluated based on number of hits. Information was also disseminated through webinars, farm demonstrations, a regular newsletter, a high tunnel grower email list and in-person conferences. When possible, we conducted surveys to assess the usefulness of these educational activities. Our advisory committee provided useful feedback on how to improve our program too.
Milestones
1:
Engagement: 3 new high-tunnel growers and 4 service providers take part in advisory committee meetings to develop appropriate and useful educational programs and resources on high-tunnel vegetable production and provide input on how to refine and improve educational content and project delivery.
All project team members will take part in the meetings, M. Skinner will coordinate meetings and summarize outcomes. At least one meeting will be held annually. Participation by the Advisory Committee. Attendance at these meetings and the extent of contributions provided by the members will serve as a way to assess the effectiveness of the committee. A summary of the outcomes from the meetings will document results.
Status: Complete
Accomplishments:
Two advisory committee meetings were held over the project period (2023 and 2024). This guided how we produce the newsletter and topics for our conferences. Growers said they get so many emails it can be overwhelming. They liked the newsletter particularly because there were a lot of pictures and not too much text. They just don’t have time to read everything that they receive. We discussed that there are a lot of webinars these days. Growers said they liked the interactive sessions better than videos. They also indicated they like farm tours but often don’t have time to attend them. When asked what topics they would like in future workshops, they asked for information on irrigation, ventilation and energy conservation. These topics have been included in our two most recent high tunnel conferences.
2:
Learning: 18 new high-tunnel growers participate in intensive one-on-one hands-on training programs throughout the 3-year project period to learn about pest/disease, irrigation and soil fertility of high-tunnel vegetables, working with project staff to develop/implement individualized plans to address their specific challenges. All will take part in pre- and post-production evaluations to assess their adoption of new practices.
This type of program has been used by the UVM Entomology Research Lab group for several years for their IPM One-on-One program for greenhouse ornamentals and they found it an effective means of identifying individual grower needs and goals as well as determining the level of adoption of new practices. The 18 new high-tunnel growers from VT and NH recruited for the program will be asked to complete a pre-season survey to identify their priorities in terms of learning new best practices (BPs) appropriate for their operation. This survey will be adapted from one UVM has used in the past which effectively determined grower needs. Through the pre-season survey, we will gather data on the length of time they have grown vegetables in high tunnels, the area of high-tunnel production, challenges to their production, and gaps in their knowledge. This will serve as the basis for their training program. Because the training is individualized for each grower, specific BPs cannot be specified here. The same growers will be asked to complete a post-season survey by email or telephone, or both. Results will demonstrate growers if adopted the BPs introduced to them, and if the BP resulted in increased crop yield or quality, or reduced production costs. Interviews will enable us to determine why a BP was not adopted. If it is a result of how the training was done, changes in the mode of outreach will be redesigned. If it is because the BP wasn’t practical or suitable, revisions to the BP itself will be considered.
Status: Complete
Accomplishments:
We enlisted 20 new growers (13 in VT, 7 in NH) who received individualized training on their farms. Each participant received a survey prior to working one-on-one with specialists to determine the major topics they would like to focus on. When asked about what information would help them improve how they manage pests, diseases and crop and soil fertility, 89% said providing site visits by specialists, 78% specified short instructional videos and 72% wanted written factsheets, and individualized management programs established for their operation. When asked what informational resources would be the most helpful to them to improve crop fertility management in their tunnels, 89% specified information on how to identify plant deficiencies, 78% wanted specific guidelines for use of specific sources of fertility and 72% needed local guidelines for fertility management. When asked what resources or information would be the most helpful to them for improving management of insect and diseases, the top resources were identification tools for diseases and pests (83%), a pest and disease id service (78%) and action thresholds (78%).
Cooperating growers were given the option of receiving $500 worth of biocontrol agents or another IPM tool of their choice, such as soil testing equipment. Most selected biocontrol agents. This was a collaboration with IPM Labs, Locke, NY which offered a discount to growers. All the growers used the full $500. Two growers said that with input from Cheryl Sullivan, they used biocontrols either for the first time or more effectively and intend to continue to use them.
Each new grower received at least one site visit from project team members. These visits often included an entomologist, a plant pathologist and a fertility management specialist. A total of 50 site visits and over 100 email/text exchanges were made. A checklist of best practices (BP) was created for use during routine/follow-up visits to assess topic adoption (i.e., soil testing, pest scouting, etc.).
To evaluate the one-on-one program, information was gathered from participating growers about its impact. While growers expressed appreciation for receiving support from a specialist, it was difficult to get them to complete the final survey to quantify impact. Only 3 of the 20 growers responded. However, those who did reported increased knowledge in several topics. Specifically, growers indicated their knowledge of insect pest and biocontrol agent identification increased from none/slight to somewhat/moderate. They also reported an increase in their knowledge of identification and management of diseases and abiotic disorders. An increase in knowledge about soil and nutrient testing and diagnosing fertility issues and fertility management was also reported. In the future, different ways to collect information on grower adoption must be devised that are user-friendly for growers and service providers.
3.
Engagement/Evaluation: Of 600 growers who receive a survey about their current high-tunnel fertilization and pest management practices and challenges via email; 125 complete it (20% participation). Results will form basis of educational programs and High-Tunnel Toolkit content. Two surveys will be conducted: May 2022 and December 2024. Completion: January 2025. Project team will assist with developing and distributing surveys, M. Skinner will compile results.
Status: Complete
Accomplishments:
We originally intended to conduct a survey in 2022 to obtain baseline data, but because growers receive so many surveys to complete, we decided it would be more effective to focus on evaluation of growers participating in our programs in the early phase of our project, and conduct only one survey at the end in 2025.
An online survey of high tunnel vegetable growers was conducted in 2025. It was adapted from one carried out by Becky Sideman and other project team members in 2016 and 2019. Those surveys focused specifically on high-tunnel tomato production. The scope of our survey was expanded to include other crops grown in high tunnels and information about how long they have been using high tunnels. By using the basic format of the past survey, it will be possible to assess changes in grower adoption over an 8-year period.
To encourage participation, a link to the survey was widely publicized via grower email lists around the region. We estimate that notice of the survey went to at least 4,000 growers, though not all of them may have had high tunnels. A total of 52 responses were received.
Results were compiled into a survey summary High TunnelSurveySummary2025. A few highlights will be reported here. In 2025, tomatoes and greens were the most commonly grown crops in high tunnels. The arthropod pests causing moderate or severe damage included aphids, tomato hornworm and striped cucumber beetle. The major diseases were tomato leaf mold, powdery mildew and cucurbit viruses.
Growers reported using a wide array of management practices. Nearly all growers reported using routine scouting and good airflow management to reduce pest and disease problems. A high percentage of growers reported that their farm staff identify pest/disease problems. This demonstrates the importance of including staff in discussions at farm visits. Over 66% of growers reported using resistant or less susceptible crop varieties and 48.9% use microbial insecticides. Over 37% of the growers report using plant-mediated systems such as habitat, guardian, banker plants, indicator or trap plants. A few practices were not commonly utilized, including pesticide treatments (either spot or preventative), beneficial nematodes, soil sanitization, replacing soil or using new media, use of disinfectants and use of diagnostic pathogen test kits. These could be topics for future educational programs.
Over 60% of the respondents reported testing their soil at least once a year or every other year, whereas 12% never tested the soil in 2025. Around 35% tested for soluble salts annually or every other year, while at least 36% never tested. Over 75% of growers reported never doing the saturated media extract test. This test is not available to all university soil testing laboratories. Plant leaf tissue analysis and petiole sap testing was rarely done. Practices to leach salts from soil (i.e., irrigation or and removing plastic) were done by less than half of the growers. The frequency of remixing beds before planting varied but was commonly done once per year or every other year. Around 18% of the respondents never re-mix the soil.
Growers were asked what project-sponsored educational events or activities they participated in over the past 8 years. Over 48% attended presentations about IPM or nutrient management, viewed a webinette or read a report linked with the project or worked directly with a project team member to solve a problem. Participation in other activities were less common. Between 14-24% of respondents attended one of our high tunnel conferences. The percentage of attendance increased by 5-6% each time the conference was held, indicating this activity is gaining a following.
Growers were asked how adoption of practices they learned from our educational programs impacted their production; 42% said adoption of IPM increased crop yield/revenues, 52% indicated use of biocontrol increased yield/revenues and 63% reported use of fertility amendments increased yield/revenues.
When growers were asked from where they obtained information on crop production and management, 88% said from other growers. Other primary sources of information included from university Extension specialists, the web and university researchers. Growers were asked how they would like to receive information that would help them manage pests, diseases and crop and soil fertility. The three highest rated were web-based resources, a website dedicated to high tunnel production and in-person workshops or conferences.
Results of this survey will serve as a valuable guide for developing future research and outreach activities to continue to meet the needs of high tunnel growers in terms of improving the quality and quantity of their crops and enhancing the cost-effectiveness and environmental sustainability of their production.
4.
Engagement and Evaluation: Of the 50 new growers and 150 experienced growers who attend one of our events, 50% will use a high-tunnel soil test the following season, and 40% will implement soil nutrient recommendations. Two follow up surveys (winter/spring 2023; winter 2024) will be sent to participants to document practice adoption and resulting changes in crop quality and yield. Completion: December 2025. R. Maden will lead follow ups and document results.
Status: Complete
Accomplishments:
Over the project period, 15 presentations and webinars were held dealing with high-tunnel soil fertility, reaching over 1,800 growers and service providers. In addition, 365 consultations with farmers on soil health were made by Becky Maden, the UVM soil fertility specialist. Eight articles on soil health and fertility were included in our High and Dry newsletter, reaching at least 900 growers for each issue. A manuscript co-authored by a project member, B. Maden was also published (Grubinger, V. P. & Maden, R. R. (2025). A Current View of High Tunnel Tomato Production in New England. HortTechnology, 35(6), 992–1002. horttech-article-p992
At least 16 growers included in the one-on-one training program also learned the importance of soil testing in high tunnels. Of those, 44% learned how to take soil/tissue samples and interpret results.
The overall impact of the high tunnel fertility focus was reflected in the 2025 survey results. Over 68% of respondents indicated they completed a soil test every year or every other year, and 53.3% used their soil test results to adjust nutrient levels. This exceeded the milestone target. Sixty-three percent of respondents indicated that their crop yield/revenues increased because they followed fertility amendments learned from our educational activities. Around 65% of respondents indicated that they would find information on how to interpret high tunnel soil tests somewhat or very necessary. A greater percentage (80.5%) said local guidelines for high tunnel fertility management would be helpful. Information on how to identify nutrient deficiencies was also ranked highly (>90% somewhat or very needed). Over 77% of respondents rated information on managing irrigation as somewhat or very necessary.
5.
Engagement and Evaluation. Of the 50 new growers and 150 experienced growers who attend our high-tunnel educational events, 25 new growers and 25 experienced growers will share documentation of soil test results, soil nutrient inputs, planting dates, plant density, crop harvest quantity and quality. April 2022, 2023, 2024. Completion: December 2025. R. Maden will coordinate surveys and analyze the data. Growers at various educational events, including our conferences, and online and onsite educational events, will be surveyed throughout the project to determine grower adoption of soil testing and the benefits of their inputs based on crop harvest quality and quantity. We anticipate reaching at least 200 new and experienced growers and obtaining a survey participation rate of 20%.
Status: Complete
Accomplishments:
Many of the educational activities described for Milestone 4 overlapped with this milestone. One specific event held during the “Hands-On High Tunnel School” focused on turning soil tests into practical recommendations. Attendees viewed soil test results and walked through various amendments to increase fertility. Growers were also encouraged to bring their own soil test results for interpretation. Participants indicated an overall increase in knowledge by 19%. Soil steaming and cover cropping sessions were also held with participants reporting a 32% increase in knowledge.
As reported for Milestone 4, the impact of the focus on high tunnel fertility was reflected in the 2025 survey results. Sixty-three percent of respondents indicated that their crop yield/revenues increased as a result of using fertility amendments learned from our educational activities. Around 65% of respondents indicated that they would find information on how to interpret high tunnel soil tests somewhat or very necessary. A greater percentage (80.5%) said local guidelines for high tunnel fertility management would be helpful. Information on how to identify nutrient deficiencies was also ranked highly (>90% somewhat or very needed). Over 77% of respondents rated information on managing irrigation would be somewhat or very necessary.
Based on the evaluation from the 2025 high tunnel conference, growers identified troubleshooting soil health issues as a topic they increased in knowledge as a result of their attendance. When asked if they learned something new they intend to use on their farm, soil moisture monitoring, and irrigation were commonly noted.
6.
Learning: 500 growers learn key best practices via a newsletter to the GreenGrower email list containing seasonal information regarding current pest issues, reminders about carrying out time-sensitive production tasks, tips on pest, disease, irrigation and soil fertility management, and announcements for regional educational events. This will occur quarterly (Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter) until January 2025. Readership number will be tracked by C.F. Sullivan and subscribers will be surveyed annually.
Status: Complete
Accomplishments:
A total of seven newsletters were produced over the project period (see UVM High Tunnel Website or products list of this report for links) and sent out via email to at least 900 growers across the Northeast and New York. Each newsletter included at least 4-5 articles on high-tunnel relevant topics identified as important by growers. These articles were designed to include high resolution images and a minimum of text as growers requested. The content of these articles was designed to link with the season. In the future we will extract some of the articles and develop them into factsheets for easy access by growers.
A survey was conducted to obtain feedback on the usefulness of the newsletter but received only 4 responses. Clearly growers are tired of completing surveys. Based on the responses received, 100% said they always open the link and scan the topics, and all felt the articles contained useful information. Seventy-five percent liked that there were pictures and that the articles presented information in a way that was easy to understand. When asked if they learned information about IPM and other production topics they will use in the future, 100% said yes. One reader said they use crazee mites now as a result of the newsletter article; another uses beneficial nematodes, and another uses recommended trellising. They asked for future articles about soil fertility, management of common pests and diseases and crop variety options. When asked what educational services would help them with high-tunnel vegetable production, 75% said continue to produce the newsletter, and 50% identified on farm demonstrations and instructional videos as valuable for their learning.
Alyssum habitat plant in a high tunnel pepper crop to attract and support natural enemies to manage insect pests (left). Cheryl Sullivan, a project team member, describing use of alyssum habitat strips around high tunnels (left).
7.
Learning: 100 new and experienced high-tunnel growers attend educational events in VT and NH (demonstrations, twilight meetings, webinars, etc.) and learn about total crop management tactics (IPM, soil testing, disease control, soil management, etc.). Attendee feedback will be collected via online evaluations. April 2022-December 2025. All project team members will work with growers, M. Skinner and C. Sullivan will compile impact results.
Online and onsite demonstration events. Educational events will be held throughout the project using different formats (online as well as onsite). This ensures we reach a wide audience over a large geographical area with the online sessions, but also have face-to-face sessions, which encourage farmer-to farmer exchange. We anticipate reaching at least 100 growers through these events, at least 20% of them new growers. Attendees will be asked to complete a survey after each event which will include questions about the usefulness of the sessions and grower adoption of the BPs introduced. We hope for a return rate of 10%.
Status: Complete
Accomplishments:
Over the project period educational information on a wide array of topics was disseminated to high tunnel growers in many formats, including individual consultations (415), one-on-one farm visits (50), preparation of factsheets (13), online training programs (3), farm tours (2) webinars (22), newsletter articles (37 in 7 newsletters. A total of over 500 different sessions or activities were completed. Over 1,800 growers were reached through these educational activities. Our 2025 survey provides insights into the impact these educational programs had on grower adoption of best practices and is reported on in Milestone 3.
Becky Maden, crop fertility specialist and team member sharing her knowledge about crop fertility (left). Ann Hazelrigg, plant pathologist and team member, discussing common disease issues in high tunnel vegetables (left).
8.
Learning: 100 new high-tunnel vegetable growers take part in at least one of our sessions for new growers at our regional high-tunnel conferences and 30 indicate in surveys that they implemented or intend to implement three recommended BPs in their high tunnels. Post conference surveys will track adoption. M. Skinner and C. Sullivan will compile impact results. Dec. 2022 and Dec. 2025.
Conference sessions for new high-tunnel growers. Presentations at the regional High-Tunnel Conferences in Year 1 and 3 of our project will be tailored to the needs of new growers. Surveys of all conference attendees will be conducted to gather further information on grower issues in high tunnel vegetable production. We will ask how long growers have been growing vegetables in their high tunnels to gain insights on the value of our sessions to meet their specific needs. The survey of attendees to the Year 1 conference will serve as baseline data on the level of experience and adoption of BPs. The survey of conference attendees in Year 3 will provide evidence of the change in grower adoption. We anticipate attendance of at least 100/conference, and a survey return rate of 20% (at least 40 responses).
Status: Complete
Accomplishments:
The 4th biennial New England High Tunnel Conference was held on December 6-7, 2023 at the Fireside Inn in West Lebanon, NH. This event brought together regional vegetable production specialists and scientists, farmers and agricultural service providers and researchers from Purdue. There were 147 total participants, and among the farmer attendees, 24% were new growers with a total of 103,488 sq ft tunnel space. Fifteen presentations were offered to attendees. A farm tour was offered as part of the program, and >97% of those who took part indicated they would like to see these offered in future.
The first day was a Hands-on High Tunnel School, specifically for new tunnel growers, with 3 engaging sessions about identifying insects (pests and beneficials), turning soil tests into practical recommendations, and identifying and managing common high tunnel diseases. The second day had a variety of topics covered including: soil steaming, cover crops, wintertime biological control, water management, irrigation strategies, economics of biocontrol and more.
Attendees gave both the overall program and the speaker presentations a 4.5/5 with 5 being excellent. Eight US states were represented (IN, ME, NH, VT, MA, NY, RI, CT), and two Canadian provinces. Among the attendees 37% identified as female, 1% as non-binary; and 4.7% as non-white (Asian, Black or African American, or mixed Indian and American), 51% were between the ages of 30-59. Participants indicated they gained knowledge after attending each session. For the “Hands-on High Tunnel School” specifically for new grower’s, attendees indicated a 22% increase in knowledge by attending.
This project culminated in a second conference held within 2 weeks of the end of the project but was planned when the project was still active. Though it took place after the project ended, planning for the event occurred while the project was active and the results of the evaluation will therefore be reported here. It was the 5th biennial New England High Tunnel Conference and held again at the Fireside Inn in West Lebanon, NH. This drew on the regional expertise within northern New England and attracted growers, researchers, extension specialists and commercial suppliers from across the Northeast. A total of 155 participants attended, the maximum capacity for the venue, 139 of which were growers or service providers. The participants were primarily from northern New England (40% from NH, 26 % from VT and 8% from Maine). Twenty-six percent of the attendees were new high tunnel growers (<5 yr in production) while 53% were experienced growers, and 10% were service providers. Based on the evaluation, the area of tunnel space managed by the 56 respondents was 23.4 acres.
A farm tour on the morning of the first day was hosted by well-respected NH growers from Edgewater Farm (Pooh and Ray Sprague) attended by at least 75% of the registrants. For the afternoon of the first day, two farmer-to-farmer sessions were held. This allowed growers to share their successes and failures, focusing on fertility, cover cropping, soil preparation, insect and disease issues and variety choices. Half of the time was spent discussing cucumbers and the other half focused on winter greens. The goal was to expand the scope of the conference beyond tomatoes. The discussions were lively and informative, and growers freely shared their experiences. The second day covered a wide range of topics, including environmental control, i.e., managing heat, air and humidity; soil health issues and how to troubleshoot for them, irrigation technologies, diagnosis of abiotics and honing high tunnel habitats with plant-mediated IPM systems. The day ended with discussion of the economics of high tunnel production and farmer innovations to make production more efficient.
Registrants were asked to complete a survey following the conference (62% response rate). Respondents rated their knowledge about various topics covered in the conference before and after the event (on a scale of 1-5; 1= no knowledge; 5 = a lot of knowledge). Growers reported an increase in knowledge on all topics included in the program. Topics that resulted in the greatest increase in knowledge (~1 point or more) were environmental controls: managing heat, air and humidity; troubleshooting soil health issues; diagnosis of abiotic issues; habitat and trap plants and economics of high tunnel production. When asked if they learned something new that they intend to use on their farm, soil moisture monitoring, and irrigation were commonly noted.
Ray Sprague of Edgewater Farm, explaining the tomato production methods he uses on the farm he co-owns with his father, Pooh Sprague (left). Pooh describing the crop harvesting and washing procedures they use on the farm (right) during the farm tour. and center. The Spragues are a well-respected farm family. Pooh and his wife Anne started the business over 50 years ago and they are now sharing the responsibility of operating the with their children, Ray and Sarah. Their operation includes 70,000 sq ft of greenhouses and high tunnels.
9.
Learning: 1,000 growers learn about habitat plants, pest/disease management and crop nutrition recommendations and other BPs through printed handouts or the web-based High-Tunnel Toolkit produced by project personnel. Grower surveys will document adoption. April 2022-December 2024. All project team members will work on the resources, C.F. Sullivan will track website hits. High-Tunnel Toolkit and website. To compile our issue-based resources into a High-Tunnel Toolkit, input from new and experienced growers will be sought in Year 1 through a survey. In addition to the surveys, data will be maintained on the number of hits on the UVM High Tunnel website. The extent to which growers refer to the online Toolkit will indicate the value of that resource to the user group. The survey will be repeated in Year 3. This will demonstrate the measurable benefits of the online Toolkit.
Status: Complete
Accomplishments:
The high tunnel website hosted through the UVM Entomology Research Lab continues to be updated and reviewed (https://www.uvm.edu/%7Ehtunnel/). Over the life of the project 6,321 hits were recorded, an average of 131/month. In our 2025 grower survey, respondents were asked where they obtained information on crop production and management. Over 67% indicated they get it from the web. When asked what resources would improve their pest and disease management and crop and soil fertility, 77% selected web-based resources and 61% selected a website site dedicated to high tunnel production. This demonstrates the value of our high-tunnel focused site to growers.
10.
Learning/Evaluation: 100 new growers adopt at least one new practice learned through this project and report it helped them meet their annual economic and crop production goals. Grower surveys April 2022 and November 2024. Completion: December 2025. All project team members will work with growers, M. Skinner, B. Sideman and B. Maden will compile impact results. Improved crop production. In all surveys we conduct, growers will be asked if participating in our educational programs resulted in an increase in crop revenues, yield and quality as a result of adopting one or more of the BPs introduced in our educational programs. Results from the surveys will demonstrate enhanced crop production.
Status: Complete
Accomplishments:
Several grower surveys were conducted over the course of the project. Results have been described in several of the other milestones and demonstrate increased knowledge about best practices. One question in our 2025 survey specifically addressed the question of impact on crop revenues. Growers were asked what impact on crop yield and revenues occurred as a result of their adoption of practices they learned from our educational activities. Over 42% identified use of IPM practices; 52% said use of biocontrols and 63% said use of fertility amendments. Up to 33% of respondents didn’t know. It is difficult for a g+rower to pinpoint one particular practice that made the difference in their yield or revenues because there are usually multiple factors affecting outcomes. Of greater value perhaps were additional comments growers made:
- About 5 years ago we adopted no till methods with compost and amendments and noticed higher yields every year.
- I gleaned a lot of info from various sources on cutworm management which has drastically improved crop production on my farm.
- Several growers mentioned that improved irrigation methods increased their yields.
- We added a weather station which increased our awareness of problems.
- Improved storage life of crops was obtained through variety selection and post-harvest handling.
- I observed increased yields of tomatoes through improved pruning and plant management.
- On farm amendments showed benefits and reduced costs! Proper fertilizer program doubled our tomato yields.
- We added habitat crops (sweet alyssum) for the past 2 years resulting in increased predator biodiversity, decreased thrips damage and increased yields.
- Orchard structure so that fruit trees could be placed under cover. Has allowed us to grow high quality organic fruit in a hostile environment.
- I now look for resistant varieties and use a lot of biocontrol/predators.
- In my 3rd year of high tunnel production, I am learning every day and making changes as needed.
- I learned better management options for thrips and cutworms, learned how to id my pests better and use of a bioinsecticides and netting. These changes resulted in better quality fruits and vegetables.
- I use a lot of the advice I learn to help with fertility and sales.
- Screening for striped cucumber beetle eliminated the pest and resulted in substantial improvement to crop yield.
Milestone activities and participation summary
Educational activities:
1 high tunnel resource list/database.
1 website
1 new grower recruitment flyer and dissemination across NH and VT.
2 Regional High Tunnel Conferences
2 advisory meetings held and summarized to discuss direction of educational activities.
Participation summary:
Learning Outcomes
Performance Target Outcomes
Target #1
50
75% of farmers will adopt at least one best practice to improve crop production.
200,000 sq. ft
75% will meet their annual economic and crop production goals.
93
The percentage of growers adopting a specific best practice increased from 2016 to 2025 for eight practices. This represented 172 growers. The practices that were adopted included use of habitat/guardian plants; use of resistant/less susceptible varieties; screening vents; use of microbial insecticides, use of microbial disease control; use of biorational pesticides and biological control and indicator and aphid banker plants.
1,000,000 sq. ft (23 acres)
42% (33 growers) reported increased crop yield/revenues from using IPM practices they learned from our educational programs; 52% (33 growers) reported increased crop yield/revenues from using biological control tactics they learned from our educational programs; 63% (27 growers) reported increased crop yield/revenues from use of fertility practices they learned from our educational programs.
We found verifying our performance targets particularly challenging for several reasons. First, many high tunnel vegetable growers do not keep good records of pests, diseases, or their revenues for individual crops. Second, revenues fluctuate widely from year to year depending on weather, pest outbreaks or market conditions. Thirdly, pests and diseases vary from year to year so a practice to manage a pest may not be reliably correlated with damage. For example, a grower told me she grows habitat plants in her high tunnel now. She can’t say she observes a difference in yield, a reduction in pests or an increase in beneficials because of them, but she assumes they contribute to the overall quality of her crop. Lastly, growers gain knowledge from a wide array of sources, not just from our educational programs, so it is impossible to know exactly where they learned a new practice. In fact, most likely a grower needs to hear something from multiple sources before adopting it.
For these reasons, in general it would be impossible for a grower to say with confidence that using one new practice made all the difference for their revenues. Our final performance target value was based on two questions in our 2025 survey and personal observations of our one-on-one grower program. In some cases, we had to rely on what growers perceived as the impact of adopting a particular practice. A key survey question we asked (in 2025) was: “Over the past 8 years, have you adopted any of the practices listed below learned at local/regional educational activities (website, newsletter, workshops, conferences, etc.) which changed your crop yield or revenues?: Use of basic IPM (scouting, pest/disease id, etc.); use of biological control; use of fertility amendments”. We used the number of growers who indicated that adoption of these practices increased their crop yields.
We also used changes in the percentage of growers from 2019 to 2025 who used a specific IPM practice as a measure of adoption. For nine specific practices, the percentage of grower users increased for the following practices: biorational pesticides, microbial insecticides, microbial disease products, spot pesticide treatments, parasites, aphid banker plants and habitat/guardian plants, resistant/less susceptible varieties.
Additional Project Outcomes
We organized and executed the 4th, biennial, Regional High Tunnel Conference on December 6-7, 2023 at the Fireside Inn in West Lebanon, NH. This event brought together regional vegetable production specialists and scientists, farmers and agricultural service providers and researchers from Purdue. There were over 147 participants. Program
#1 Many vegetable growers have turned to production in high tunnels to avoid loss due to the unpredictable nature of weather in recent years, thought to be linked with climate change. Some of the new high tunnel growers lack knowledge about crop production in protected environments and are unfamiliar with the unique IPM demands in this setting. Often it takes a few years before the pests and diseases build to up to levels causing significant damage or crop loss. Our project specifically focuses on helping these new growers develop IPM skills, including the most basic of scouting their crops, identifying the pests and determining if releases of biological control agents would be useful. Several growers were recruited to receive one-on-one training on their farm to learn these skills. Two growers on our advisory committee, both new to high tunnel production, mentioned that before taking part in the program they had not used biological control or did so intermittently. They never felt it was very effective. As part of this project which linked with IPM Labs, a company that distributes natural enemies in the region, they received financial support to try biological control again, but this time with guidance from the University of Vermont entomologist. They said it made a huge difference, and they intend to continue to use them in the future based on the success last year.
#2 Since 2010, the USDA NRCS has funded over 400 high tunnels in Vermont, totaling 23 acres of protected crop land. Vermont’s food system generated $11.3 billion in 2017, an increase of 48% from 2007. Much of that revenue has come from high tunnel vegetables, and many of the producers are new growers who have been in business for less than 10 years. There is a steep learning curve for these new growers, and without support from specialists, they will likely not get the most out of their farm despite their greatest efforts. The farm visits we have made to new growers is really helping. One grower who received support through our one-on-one training emailed to say: “Happy fall; Thanks for all your help this summer with our high tunnels. We harvested more tomatoes than ever and finally brought some peppers to full red (and a bumper crop).” Ben of Firefly Farm at Burke Hollow. It is gratifying to hear that he was able to increase yield significantly as a result of a few well-timed site visits.
Growers in our Advisory Committee were asked what methods were the most useful for them to receive IPM and crop production information. They said there are so many webinars offered these days and sometimes growers get overloaded with information. They just don’t have time to attend them all, and sometimes there is too much information offered and they can’t absorb it all. They said the most useful thing sometimes is a good picture. As they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” We will heed this advice as we prepare future educational resources.
Information Products
- High Tunnel Production Toolkit
- High Tunnel Scouting for Beginners
- High Tunnel Tomato Diseases
- Soil Testing in High Tunnels
- Pest & Natural Enemy Scouting Form for High Tunnel Crops (Template 1)
- Pest & Natural Enemy Scouting Form for Sticky Cards in High Tunnel Crops (Template 2)
- Pest & Natural Enemy Scouting Form for Plant-mediated IPM Systems in High Tunnel Crops (Template 3)
- High Tunnel Map Templates
- Using Pest Fighting Plants in High Tunnels
- High & Dry: Growing Vegetables in Northern New England High Tunnels (Fall 2023, Issue 1)
- High Tunnel IPM Newsletter Issue 2
- High Tunnel IPM Newsletter Issue 3
- High Tunnel IPM Newsletter Issue 4
- Winter Greens Diseases
- Soil Steaming in High Tunnels
- High Tunnel IPM Newsletter Issue 5
- High Tunnel IPM Newsletter Issue 6
- High Tunnel IPM Newsletter Issue 7
- Tomato Pith Necrosis
- A Problem Pest in Peppers: Pepper Maggot, Zonosemata electa
- Grasshoppers in May? What's Going On?
- The Do's and Don't's of Tomato Trellises for Tunnels
- Growing Upwards: Trellising Peppers and eggplants in Tunnels
- What's that Bug? Lacewings
- Russet Mites: A Tiny Threat to Greenhouse Tomatoes
- Reap the Rewards of Improved Summer Tunnel Fertility Management
- Pesticides in High Tunnels: What is Legal and What is Safe
- The Crazee Mite: A New Biological Control Agent for High Tunnels
- What's that Bug? Parasitic Praon Wasps
- Accurate Pest and Disease Identification: The First Line of Defense
- High and Hot - Managing Heat Stress in High Tunnels
- Mystery Solved!
- The Great Flip: When is it time to call it on summer crops
- Avoiding Aphid Fallout
- Winter Diseases in High Tunnels
- Time to sample high tunnel soils
- Diseases on Late Winter & Spring Tunnel Greens
- Now is the Time to Prepare a Biocontrol plan for Aphids
- Using Pest Fighting Plants in High Tunnels: Awesome Alyssum
- Menaces in the Cucumber Patch: Cucumber Beetles
- Summer Diseases in High Tunnels
- The Costs and Benefits of Exclusion Netting
- Report from Quebec
- Use Tissue Tests for Mid-season Nutrient Checkup
- Is that really a bumblebee?
- Saffron, What a Cool Idea
- Summer is Sizzling for Spider Mites
- Survey of High Tunnel Practices in Northern New England