growing year round vegetables like a pro!

Profitable Summer & Winter Crops in High

Tunnels

This talk will be on my blog..

www.michael-kilpatrick.com

http://www.michael-kilpatrick.com

Background Ran Kilpatrick Family Farm 2004-2015

Have interned at Polyface, Inc, Pleasant Valley Farm, collaborated with Eliot Coleman, others.

Now consult full-time for clients/companies from Alaska to New York

Work with Four Season Tools as an Agricultural Consultant.

Passionate about

Helping small farms become sustainable and effective businesses

Four season farming and season extension

Slow Tools and machinery outfitting for small farms

1/22/10 8:55 AM9778 State Route 22, Middle Granville, NY 12849 - Google Maps

Page 1 of 1http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=92849&ll=42.747012,-74.256592&spn=10.937574,23.181152&z=6&pw=2

Address 9778 State Route 22Middle Granville, NY 12849

2009 Google - Map data 2009 Google, Tele Atlas -

We were in Middle Granville, NY - an hour north of Albany, NY Zone 4b

Kilpatrick Family Farm

12-15 acres in vegetables

25-30 Acres in Cover Crop

8 full time employees

1/3rd acre of Tunnels

3,000 yards of compost annually

4 Summer Markets

3 winter markets

Income $450000+

Farmers MarketRestaurantCSA

21% gross profit margin

Planning our production

ITem Number crop variety Days Seed date plant date container Company

Have seed

?

Seeds ordered

seeds

per cel

l

Plants/

Seeds

needed

Field bed feet

rows

per bed

2120 Artichoke Imperial Star 3/1 5/16 20 row> 3" JSS 1 250 450 12015g Arugula Astro 2/8 JSS Y Tomato house 3 50 52015g Arugula Astro 3/1 JSS y Haygrove 3 100 42015g Arugula Astro 4/4 JSS Y lb TW 25 42015g Arugula Astro 4/11 JSS Y TW 25 42015g Arugula Astro 4/18 JSS Y TW 25 42015g Arugula Astro 4/25 JSS Y TW 25 42015g Arugula Astro 5/2 JSS Y TW 25 42015g Arugula Astro 5/9 JSS Y TW 25 42015g Arugula Astro 5/16 JSS Y TW 25 42015g Arugula Astro 5/23 JSS Y TW 25 42015g Arugula Astro 5/30 JSS Y TW 25 42015g Arugula Astro 6/6 JSS Y TW 25 42015g Arugula Astro 6/13 JSS Y TW 25 42015g Arugula Astro 6/20 JSS Y TW 25 42015g Arugula Astro 6/27 JSS Y TW 25 42015g Arugula Astro 7/4 JSS Y GR 4 25 42015g Arugula Astro 7/11 JSS Y GR 4 25 42015g Arugula Astro 7/18 JSS Y GR 4 25 42015g Arugula Astro 7/25 JSS Y GR 4 25 42015g Arugula Astro 8/1 JSS Y TW 25 42015g Arugula Astro 8/8 JSS Y TW 25 42015g Arugula Astro 8/15 JSS Y TW 25 42015g Arugula Astro 8/22 JSS Y TW 25 42015g Arugula Astro 8/29 JSS Y Bottom 100 122015g Arugula Astro 9/5 JSS Y Bottom 100 122015g Arugula Astro 9/12 JSS Y Bottom 150 123021BO Arugula Ice-Bred 9/17 FS oz Bottom 200 123021BO Arugula Ice-Bred 9/22 FS Bottom 200 123021BO Arugula Ice-Bred 9/26 FS Bottom 200 123021BO Arugula Ice-Bred 10/1 FS Haygrove 4 50 12

Time 3/1 3/15 4/1 4/15 5/1 5/15 6/1 6/15

BED 1 strawberries 1st half/

strawberries 1st half

strawberries 1st half/lettuce mix/mesclun xx

strawberries 1st half/lettuce mix/mesclun




basil

BED 2 transplanted turnips and radishes- radishes in center of bedxx

transplanted turnips and radishes- radishes in center of bed



Cukes in center of bed turnips finishing up on edges


cukes cukes

BED 3 Arugula/mesclunxx

Arugula/mesclun

Arugula/mesclun

beans beans beans/ tomatoes in center of bed

beans/ tomatoes in center of bed


BED 4 Swiss chard, mustards, pac choi, hon tsai tai xx

Swiss chard, mustards, pac choi, hon tsai tai



peppers peppers peppers peppers

Haygrove 2011

Haukuri Turnips

Haukuri Turnips

Radishes

Radishes

Cucumbers

Greens

Greens

Greens

Greens

Time 3/1 3/15 4/1 4/15 5/1 5/15 6/1 6/15

BED 1 strawberries 1st half/

strawberries 1st half

strawberries 1st half/lettuce mix/mesclun xx





basil

BED 2 transplanted turnips and radishes- radishes in center of bedxx






cukes cukes

BED 3 Arugula/mesclunxx

Arugula/mesclun

Arugula/mesclun

beans beans beans/ tomatoes in center of bed



BED 4 Swiss chard, mustards, pac choi, hon tsai tai xx




peppers peppers peppers peppers

Haygrove 2011

8/1 8/15 9/1 9/15 10/1 10/15 11/1 11/15 12/1

basil basil basil basil spinach spinach spinach spinach spinachxx

cukes cukes broccolini/ broccoli raab/boc choi

broccolini/ broccoli raab/boc choi




broccolini/ broccoli raab/boc choixx

tomatoes tomatoes tomatoes tomatoes lettuce lettuce lettuce lettuce lettucexx

peppers peppers peppers peppers Arugula/lettuce

Arugula/lettuce

Arugula/lettuce

Arugula/lettuce

Arugula/lettucexx

Haygrove 2011 fall

664 Radish Rover 2/7 2/28 JSS 3 3600 1200 200 3 Haygrove 2 2

2015g Arugula Astro 3/1 JSS y 100 4 Haygrove 3 brassica30.0

1C Mesclun, GreenhouseMixed 28 3/1 0 16000.0 100 8 Haygrove 3 brassica20.0

702 Swiss Chard, Greenhouseruby red 3/1 JSS 0 3600 50 6 Haygrove 2 beet 12

706 Turnip Hakuri 1/24 3/1 200 sp JSS 4 3200 800 200 2 Haygrove 2 2

Greens, GreenhouseMixed 45 1/24 3/7 200 speedling Haygrove 4

138 Greens, GreenhouseHon Tsai Tai 37 2/8 3/7 200 speedling 2 532 266.0 50 4 Haygrove 4 1.3

2460 Greens, GreenhouseBlack summer45 2/8 3/7 200 speedling 1 266 266.0 50 4 Haygrove 4 1.3

1C Mesclun, GreenhouseMustards 28 1/25 3/7 3 780 260.0 50 4 Haygrove 4 1.3

703D Swiss Chard Bright Lights 1/28 3/15 200 speedlingJSS 1 300 300 100 3 Hoophouse 1

664 Radish Rover 3/28 JSS 50 M 1 7200 7200 150 4 Bottom 9 radish 12

706 Turnip Hakuri 2/14 3/28 200 sp JSS 4 1600 400 50 4 Bottom 8 2

1B Lettuce, GreenhouseMixed 45 1/3 4/1 200 speedling 0 600.0 50 6 Mixed 2.0ITem

Number

crop variety DaysSeed

date

plant date

container Company

Have seed?

Seeds ordered

seeds per cell

Plants/

Seeds

needed

Plants

needed

bed feet

rows

per bed

Field Plate Seeds per FT

9/1 9/15 10/1 10/15 11/1 11/15 12/1

Tomato Tomato Tomato spinach spinach spinach spinachxx

Tomato Tomato Tomato boc choi, asian greens, swiss chard- interplanted

boc choi, asian greens, swiss chard- interplanted



Tomato Tomato Tomato mesclun mesclun mesclun mesclunxx

Tomato Tomato Tomato lettuce lettuce lettuce lettuce

Ginger Ginger Ginger spinach spinach spinach spinachxx

Long House Fall

InterplantingAsian Greens

Swiss Chard

OverplantingOnions

Micromix

Growth rates

0

5

10

15

20

1/1 2/1 3/1 4/1 5/1 6/1 7/1 8/1 9/1 10/1 11/1 12/1

Outdoors Greenhoue

We need to make $40,000 an acre

Also need to make at least $40 an hour picking the crop

Works out to be $4.50 a bed ft

Acclimating Greens to Cold

0

7.5

15

22.5

30

October November December January

No Heat Heated

this transition is what kills them- bring temps down slowly

Spinach

seed transplant

Location Type Sales date

9/1 raised field bedsbaby November

9/1 hoophouse full sizeFebruary

10/10 High-tunnel baby December/January

10/6 11/6High-tunnel full sizeEmergency

Spinach Successions

Hoophouse spinach is seeded by September 1st

fertilized and weeded 3 weeks later with soybean meal

preferred Varieties are Space, Pigeon, Donkey

Spinach makes around $300,000 an acre

Spinach Successions

seed transplant






seed transplant






Text

Spinach Successions

Seeded Baby Spinach

Seeded by October 10th seeded at 30 seeds per ft with

rows 8 apart

Pigeon or Red Kitten (for Christmas Spinach)

Red Kitten or Red Cardinal Faster regrowth 4-5 cuttings

during our growing season

does bolt faster in the springreally good flavor!

Spinach trial

Flamingo Spinachfor bunching

Emperor (bunch or leaf)

Giant winterbig and floppy

Pigeonpersonal favorite

Favorite winter varieties

Space Tyee Giant Winter Pigeon Racoon

Mesclun

Seeded around 30 of September start harvest mid November will cover with mini tunnels before

snow for harvest until christmas

SL

0

30

60

90

120

1 2 3 4

Growth in March

9/27

10/6

10/15

10/20-10/23

1/20

were finding that 4-5 inches is best for row spacing

For mid-winter

replantings (usually

after lettuce), we will come in

with transplants ( 6 x 6 spacing

seeded 5-8 seeds per

cell)

Black Summer Red choi Yukina Savoy Red Komatsuna Hong Vit Tokyo Bekana Purple Mizuna Kyona Mizuna

Ruby Streaks Mustard

Garnet Giant Mustard

Golden Frill Mustard

Fordhook Giant Chard

Red Cardinal spinach

Mesclun Varieties

Tokyo Bekana

Komatsuna

Braising greens

braising greens is mesclun in the teenage stage or 8-10 tall. In early spring we usually cant keep up with the

growth of the greens and then just cut and bunch individual varieties. Well even bunch it after it has flowered!

Braising greens

Pictures courtesy of Johnnys Seeds

Arugula

Upland Cress

Preventing Steminess

Over-wintering of greens can be successful with proper hardening off- these went through -20 F and survived

Microgreens

Days to harvest

Variety seed transplant

Location

Fall Kale Jul 5, 2011 8/4Field

Baby field kale September 15-30 Field

Greenhouse Kale Aug 4, 2011 9/1High tunnel

Variety seed transplant Location

Bright Lights 8/1 Field/mini-houses

Bright Lights 8/10 10/13 High tunnel


Fordhook giant 9/10 high tunnel

Swiss Chard


Bright Lights 8/20 field, cut and store




Swiss Chard


Bright Lights 8/1 Field/mini-houses




Swiss Chard

Baby Swiss Chard

Lettuce Mix

seed transplant Location Sales date

7/28 9/5 raised field November

8/10 9/27Haygrove December

9/25Direct unheated house January, February

10/5Direct unheated house March

1/10Direct high-tunnel April

Varieties need Downy Mildew Tolerant (DMT)

varieties

Johnnys 5 star mix (192) good place to start

like sulu, concept, magenta, winter density

seed transplant Location Sales date

7/28 9/5 raised field November

8/10 9/27Haygrove December

9/25Direct unheated house January, February

10/5Direct unheated house March

1/10Direct high-tunnel April

Lettuce Mix

Lettony Sulu spock

Gaviotta Bolsachica DMR mix

Salanova

Seeded August 10th

Head Lettuce


Multiple 8/1 9/1 field



Asian Greens

Variety seed transplant

Location

Pac choi 8/20 9/16 fieldPac choi 8/25 9/30 haygrove Brocolli Raab 9/9 10/21 haygrove Pac choi 9/9 10/15 high tunnelVitamin Green 9/9 10/15 High tunnelTokyo Bekana 9/9 10/15 High tunnelYukina savoy 9/9 10/15 High tunnelMix 1/15 2/20 Hoophouse

Boc Choi Varieties

Black Summer Mei Qing Choi Joi Choi Red Choi

Peppers

Almost all done inside now Ace for green Carmen, Flavorburst for colored stake for maximum production

Hoophouse planting

transplanted through black landscape cloth

2 x 2 spacing

drip under cloth, 1 run per row

plastic put on several days after planting to reduce stress on plants

Harvest starting 7/10

Staked 3-4 weeks after planting

French Beans

Can be direct seeded in a hoophouse 3rd week of April

rows 24 apart seeded with Earthway seeder

Transplanting 2-3 seeds per cell, planted as a multi-plant

Transplants need to be much smaller (10 days max)

water in well (reduce stress as much a possible)

Maxibel best variety

we transplant 2 rows apart on the bed (plants 12 inches apart) with drip tape down the center

Need to pick every 2 days to keep small

Early season beans can command up to $6 lb

1.6 lbs per bed ft = $9 per bed ft

need consistent irrigation

Tomatoes

2 plantings- the January 30th planting is for our greenhouse red the Febuary 30th planting is for heirloom and specialty

varieties

Our goal has to always stay ahead of the market- we try to be first with the red and when others come in with red move on to rainbow

Cultural techniques greenhouse plantings are

trellised 2 leaders on the Qlipr System

hoop house plantings are basket-weave with 7 ft rebar in between 8 ft 2 x 2 stakes

we pick into 2 gallon mushroom buckets and sort in washing shed

Running cherries though the barrel washer to mix, shine, and wash off any copper

Rainbow Cherries

All the colors of the rainbow colors are mixed while washing them customers love them! we start the season with 1/2 pint for $4 -

later in the season we drop to $5 pint

by the numbers

@ 3 pints per ft we make $12-15/ft varieties from totally tomatoes, tomato

growers supply, johnnys

favorites are chocolate cherry, snow white, green grape, black cherry

Tomato culture

All are grafted Maxifort Rootstock Geronimo, Big Beef, Rebelski Great White, German Johnson, Black

Prince, Cherokee Purple, Indigo rose

Greenhouse Cukes

seeded in 3 inch pots 4 weeks ahead of plant out date

transplanted 12 apart in a double row down raised bed with 2 drip tubes (cukes love water)

Hortanova is used for trellising - attached to a pipe suspended in the greenhouse

Grosses $160,000 per acre

Varieties

Socrates- smaller euro type- really good flavor Tasty Jade- long japanese type, customers love

them

Diamant- good pickling variety- really productive Salt and Pepper- incredible flavor- (Not self-

Pollinating

Need to pick self-pollinating varieties because of pollination

Variety seed transplant Field

Diamant 3/28 4/18 Haygrove 2

Tasty jade 3/28 4/18 Haygrove 2

Diamant 7/11 7/25 Haygrove 1

Tasty Jade 7/11 7/25 Haygrove 1

First planting between turnips

Haukuri Turnips

Haukuri Turnips

Radishes

Radishes

Cucumbers

Greens

Greens

Greens

Greens

Variety seed transplant FieldDiamant 3/28 4/18Haygrove 2Tasty jade 3/28 4/18Haygrove 2Diamant 7/11 7/25Haygrove 1Tasty Jade 7/11 7/25Haygrove 1

Second planting after early greens and lettuce

Tasty Jade

Socrates

Sunflowers

Variety Days seed transplant Field

Pro cut mix 55 3/15 4/10Haygrove

Sunrich 65 3/15 4/10Haygrove

sunbright 75 3/15 4/10Haygrove

Pro cut mix 55 4/1 4/23Haygrove

Sunrich 65 4/1 4/23Haygrove

sunbright 75 4/1 4/23Haygrove

Pro cut mix 55 4/15 5/6Field

Sunrich 65 4/15 5/6Field

sunbright 75 4/15 5/6Field

sunbright 75 6/20 7/12Last Field

transplanted 12 rows, 6 apart. 2 weeks later well throw down soybean meal for

extra nitrogen

start harvesting 6/1 the sunrich and sun series are two of our

favorites

gross is around $130,000

Seed cut (leaving 3-4 eyes) into trays and cover with soil mix

www.eastbranchginger.com

www.hawaiianorganicginger.com

http://www.eastbranchginger.comhttp://www.hawaiianorganicginger.com

Seeded August 1, transplanted October Bridger plants

Forum Sets work great too

What else have we tried?

Yield 4 lbs per bed ft

Marketing

Marketing VenuesFarmers markets

CSA

Restaurant

Buying Club

Wholesale

Why farmers Markets?

double as CSA drop sites

Retail dollar

we can sell as much or as little as we want- dont have to have a pallet of something to sell it

Fluidity- adapts quickly to what we need to do

Farmers markets

Always show up- rain, snow, sleet, no power...

Quality, quality, quality

it has to look good enough to eat

knowledgeable staff

consistency- we plant lettuce 30 times- we want lettuce every week.

Get on the Board

help shape policy

move the market into the 20th century

preferred spots and market access

know whats going on easily

make sure everything looks full

keep moving crop into progressively

smaller containers as you sell down

Big displays

Display is everything!

farmers markets allow us

to sell perishable items

The unusual

Staying one step ahead of the competition

Whole foods- masters at display

critical zone is from waist to eye level

Full Displays- no empty dead space

CSA

Our CSA operates differently in that most members pick up at the markets

The share contains 6-9 items- we usually pick 2 items and the members pick the rest

This is a win-win for both- we can move the crops that we have extra of while they get to pick to suit their diet

Connect with us!

@michaelkilpatrick21

Michael Kilpatrick

www.michael-kilpatrick.com

[email protected]

http://www.michael-kilpatrick.commailto:[email protected]

growing year round vegetables like a pro!

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