New grant helps UP farmers build greenhouse infrastructure
UPPER PENINSULA — Upper Peninsula farmers have a chance to expand into off-season produce with a new grant from the U.P. Food Exchange.
The high tunnel grant program allows commercial farmers of any size to help expand their infrastructure with a $12,000 grant to build non-seasonal greenhouses.
U.P. Food Exchange has created several grants in the past to help local farmers, which also help consumers get easier access to locally-grown produce. In previous years, they provided vouchers to encourage people to buy food at local farmers markets. This year, the exchange hopes to help those farms increase their crops.
High tunnels, or hoop houses, are a type of greenhouse with a plastic covering that shields plants from the elements while allowing sunlight to come through, meaning farmers can grow plants out of season, or grow plants that are not normally from the region.
"Having a high tunnel is pretty much an essential at this point for farming in the Upper Peninsula," said Outreach Director Sarah Monte. "You can plant spinach in the fall in your hoop house, it will lay dormant during the cold dark days of winter and then sometimes even by March we're getting some greens in at markets."
Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our content
In addition to having plants earlier in the year, farmers can also grow plants like tomatoes and peppers in the summer, even though the UP weather doesn't support warm climate vegetables.
"So we have prioritized working with the communities that have a farmers market that has vendors that will have produce for sale during the summer," said Monte. "We want to try to encourage those farms to grow more foods so that there are more products available."
The $12,000 grant is available to any farmer from one of the three regional districts of the UP.
"It doesn't matter if you're a conventional farmer or organic. You can be a very small farm as long as you're selling to the public and we want to help them invest in their farms," said Monte.
Applications are accepted until March 27 at the U.P. Food Exchange website.
— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Sault News: New grant helps UP farmers build greenhouse infrastructure
