New High Tunnel - Page 9

BigVanVader · February 13, 2016

http://hightunnels.org/double-layer-...o-electricity/

Hellmanns · February 13, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

http://hightunnels.org/double-layer-...o-electricity/

That's neat! Image burned into my personal hard drive for later reference..

Thanks!

TechGuy · November 21, 2017

I am located in central North Carolina. I don't know much about high tunnels but my local NRCS office has my application for their high tunnel program. So far they are very difficult to get info from. My county office guy told me in person how great the program was and then would never return emails or phone calls. I started trying to get info in the spring.

Then in Oct, another guy from a different county contacted me and said he worked specifically with high tunnels. He said he could come out and answer my site questions. He did not offer much help on site. Sounds like they work a lot with big farms a soil projects.

I later sent him a video clip of my site location with my slope measurement, thinking he could tell me if it would work or not and he said I had to contact a Technical Service Provider with questions. I have emails out to a few people to see who has answers. The people tagged in the database for high tunnels appear to be engineering companies. The first response was that I can pay them $5K for a site analysis. That's not going to happen.

So far, it seems like I am a long way from understanding how all this is going to work.

My current question is whether I will be able to legally and practically put a tunnel on a 5% slope. I have a 100 ft length area that drops off a bit more at around the 70' mark to give the 5% number. If I went wider .. maybe 30' then I could do something around 70' long and the slope is more like 3%

Here is a video clip of the site and how I came up with my slope calculation:
https://youtu.be/KuMrqBOCsv0

After that, I will have real questions like what kind of tunnel to get. We have some snow here, usually never more than 1 ft. A bad storm here 10 years ago was 16-24 inches.

Any thoughts?

Cole_Robbie · November 21, 2017

The two high tunnels are still standing, so far so good.

I would think you would be fine at that slope, but they will probably want you to build a gutter or drainage system for the uphill side. You just need to make the water flow around the high tunnel instead of through it.

As far as snow goes, 1-2 feet of heavy snow will collapse a lot of tunnels. You would need internal support posts if your structure is very wide.

BigVanVader · November 21, 2017

Yeah, a little slope is a good thing to keep the GH from flooding. Also helps with air movement.

AKmark · November 21, 2017

Some I have with a 3 inch slope over 96 feet, some I dont. Use the big 2-7/8 bows, mine take 100 mile an hour winds and being in AK, we get a lot of snow. I have trusses in some, others I don't, all are standing.

PhilaGardener · November 22, 2017

Those pines to the North side will make a good wind-break. How close is your alignment to an East-West axis? (I am guessing you took the video mid-day.)

TechGuy · November 22, 2017

I am facing north taking the video- so right to left is east west. The drop off over 100' is about 5'. The site get mostly sun all year- the tree behind do not block. Just a little shade to right in morning

PureHarvest · December 21, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by TechGuy

I am located in central North Carolina. I don't know much about high tunnels but my local NRCS office has my application for their high tunnel program. So far they are very difficult to get info from. My county office guy told me in person how great the program was and then would never return emails or phone calls. I started trying to get info in the spring.

Then in Oct, another guy from a different county contacted me and said he worked specifically with high tunnels. He said he could come out and answer my site questions. He did not offer much help on site. Sounds like they work a lot with big farms a soil projects.

I later sent him a video clip of my site location with my slope measurement, thinking he could tell me if it would work or not and he said I had to contact a Technical Service Provider with questions. I have emails out to a few people to see who has answers. The people tagged in the database for high tunnels appear to be engineering companies. The first response was that I can pay them $5K for a site analysis. That's not going to happen.

So far, it seems like I am a long way from understanding how all this is going to work.

My current question is whether I will be able to legally and practically put a tunnel on a 5% slope. I have a 100 ft length area that drops off a bit more at around the 70' mark to give the 5% number. If I went wider .. maybe 30' then I could do something around 70' long and the slope is more like 3%

Here is a video clip of the site and how I came up with my slope calculation:
https://youtu.be/KuMrqBOCsv0

After that, I will have real questions like what kind of tunnel to get. We have some snow here, usually never more than 1 ft. A bad storm here 10 years ago was 16-24 inches.

Any thoughts?

I am a Soil Conservationist with NRCS.
The standard for your area does mention no slopes over 5%. Our standard here doesn't mention that.
A TSP is only needed for technical plan writing work like energy or irrigation audits. It is the job of the Soil Con in your county to provide free technical assistance to you regarding the feasibility of your project. Sounds like they passed the buck.
Find out who the DC (district conservationist) is in your county and call that person. They should be able to tell you who your planner is, and confirm what I am saying that the planner/soil con. should have provided you with the info you need to verify that your site is good.
Once you have met eligibility requirements (you have a farm and tract number with FSA, provided your AGI for 2018, and other documents depending on your county) and have signed an EQIP 2018 application, they should assign a planner/soil conservationist to you.
That person should explain all the requirements/rules and evaluate your site. Once they determine you are good, they will rank your application against other HT applicants and at some point let you know if you are pre-approved to proceed in them creating a contract with you. Once you sign it, you build it. When you complete it, they will inspect it to see it meets the NRCS standards and pay you based on whatever the rate per sqft is in your county. This would have been spelled out in your contract before you signed it.

PureHarvest · February 28, 2018

Just finished my new high tunnel (finally).
30' x 72' from Rimol. Their kit is the best I 've used/seen.
Trusses on every bow. Double layer with air blower. Automated roll up sides and vented gables.
This was from a USDA EQIP grant.
They are also paying to run the water line from my barn/pressure tank to the tunnel, as well as the micro-irrigation (drip tape) I will install inside.
Not posting this to brag, just want to encourage anyone who is putting off getting a high tunnel because of cost to apply for the grant.

HT 2018.jpg

BigVanVader · February 28, 2018

Awesome! Congrats. All my paperwork is finally done and I'm on the list. Just waiting to hear from my NRCS guy. He said once I get approved (if I do) he will call me and I will need to prep the site. I'm also doing a pollinater habitat.

PureHarvest · February 28, 2018

Cool.
Are you doing practice 422 or 327 for pollinators?
That definitely helps your score if they have more applicants than funding. Could be the difference between you getting in or not.
You should see if you can do 441 (micro-irrigation). Ours has a $200 cap, but it helps, and gives more points in our ranking program.

BigVanVader · February 28, 2018

No idea, I will check. Thanks for the heads up. He put me down for 100x30 and said if I went smaller I could use the rest elsewhere. Seems like he is trying to help me at least.

Cole_Robbie · February 28, 2018

That is very nice.

What is the pollinator thing? Does the government think that high tunnels are good for bees? Mine acts as a big bee trap and kills a lot of bees. I have a hive right next to the greenhouse.

BigVanVader · February 28, 2018

You have to grow a certain sized strip of at least (I think 16) different plants for local bee populations. They have a list of approved mixes I can buy. Then they check to make sure it is established correctly.

November 21, 2017	#123
TechGuy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Pinehurst North Carolina USA Posts: 31	First NRCS High Tunnel Funding In Progress I am located in central North Carolina. I don't know much about high tunnels but my local NRCS office has my application for their high tunnel program. So far they are very difficult to get info from. My county office guy told me in person how great the program was and then would never return emails or phone calls. I started trying to get info in the spring. Then in Oct, another guy from a different county contacted me and said he worked specifically with high tunnels. He said he could come out and answer my site questions. He did not offer much help on site. Sounds like they work a lot with big farms a soil projects. I later sent him a video clip of my site location with my slope measurement, thinking he could tell me if it would work or not and he said I had to contact a Technical Service Provider with questions. I have emails out to a few people to see who has answers. The people tagged in the database for high tunnels appear to be engineering companies. The first response was that I can pay them $5K for a site analysis. That's not going to happen. So far, it seems like I am a long way from understanding how all this is going to work. My current question is whether I will be able to legally and practically put a tunnel on a 5% slope. I have a 100 ft length area that drops off a bit more at around the 70' mark to give the 5% number. If I went wider .. maybe 30' then I could do something around 70' long and the slope is more like 3% Here is a video clip of the site and how I came up with my slope calculation: https://youtu.be/KuMrqBOCsv0 After that, I will have real questions like what kind of tunnel to get. We have some snow here, usually never more than 1 ft. A bad storm here 10 years ago was 16-24 inches. Any thoughts?

February 13, 2016	#121
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	http://hightunnels.org/double-layer-...o-electricity/

November 21, 2017	#124
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	The two high tunnels are still standing, so far so good. I would think you would be fine at that slope, but they will probably want you to build a gutter or drainage system for the uphill side. You just need to make the water flow around the high tunnel instead of through it. As far as snow goes, 1-2 feet of heavy snow will collapse a lot of tunnels. You would need internal support posts if your structure is very wide.

November 21, 2017	#125
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	Yeah, a little slope is a good thing to keep the GH from flooding. Also helps with air movement.

November 21, 2017	#126
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	Some I have with a 3 inch slope over 96 feet, some I dont. Use the big 2-7/8 bows, mine take 100 mile an hour winds and being in AK, we get a lot of snow. I have trusses in some, others I don't, all are standing.

November 22, 2017	#127
PhilaGardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Near Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1,940	Those pines to the North side will make a good wind-break. How close is your alignment to an East-West axis? (I am guessing you took the video mid-day.)

November 22, 2017	#128
TechGuy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Pinehurst North Carolina USA Posts: 31	I am facing north taking the video- so right to left is east west. The drop off over 100' is about 5'. The site get mostly sun all year- the tree behind do not block. Just a little shade to right in morning

February 28, 2018	#130
PureHarvest Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Mid-Atlantic right on the line of Zone 7a and 7b Posts: 1,369	Just finished my new high tunnel (finally). 30' x 72' from Rimol. Their kit is the best I 've used/seen. Trusses on every bow. Double layer with air blower. Automated roll up sides and vented gables. This was from a USDA EQIP grant. They are also paying to run the water line from my barn/pressure tank to the tunnel, as well as the micro-irrigation (drip tape) I will install inside. Not posting this to brag, just want to encourage anyone who is putting off getting a high tunnel because of cost to apply for the grant. HT 2018.jpg

February 28, 2018	#131
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	Awesome! Congrats. All my paperwork is finally done and I'm on the list. Just waiting to hear from my NRCS guy. He said once I get approved (if I do) he will call me and I will need to prep the site. I'm also doing a pollinater habitat.

February 28, 2018	#132
PureHarvest Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Mid-Atlantic right on the line of Zone 7a and 7b Posts: 1,369	Cool. Are you doing practice 422 or 327 for pollinators? That definitely helps your score if they have more applicants than funding. Could be the difference between you getting in or not. You should see if you can do 441 (micro-irrigation). Ours has a $200 cap, but it helps, and gives more points in our ranking program.

February 28, 2018	#133
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	No idea, I will check. Thanks for the heads up. He put me down for 100x30 and said if I went smaller I could use the rest elsewhere. Seems like he is trying to help me at least.

February 28, 2018	#134
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	That is very nice. What is the pollinator thing? Does the government think that high tunnels are good for bees? Mine acts as a big bee trap and kills a lot of bees. I have a hive right next to the greenhouse.

February 28, 2018	#135
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	You have to grow a certain sized strip of at least (I think 16) different plants for local bee populations. They have a list of approved mixes I can buy. Then they check to make sure it is established correctly.