FARM VEGETABLE Tunnels

Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 10: BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Vegetable Tunnels
Built in 2015

Vegetable Tunnels under construction, 2015. [P1110476.jpg]

VEGETABLE Tunnels

TAGS: vegetable tunnels, greenhouses, hot-houses, hemp, garden produce, food-ways, Paul Creech, kitchens, farm to table, sustainability, University of Kentucky

Two so-called “Tunnels” or Green Houses, were constructed in 2015 with support from the University of Kentucky. Another two tunnels were added in 2019 with additional funding.

The four large tunnels joined one small tunnel that was added in the early 2000s. The new tunnels were initially supplied to provide a controlled environment for the growing of hemp that would be used to evaluate its viability in the soil and climate of the Pine Mountain valley. Two crops of hemp were planted. One was within the tunnel and one crop was grown without the tunnel. The two crops were to be compared to evaluate the rate of growth and to measure the TCP level within the two crops within the two environments.

Since 2015 the tunnels have been used to significantly increase the growing season of vegetable crops used in the meals served at Pine Mountain to guests and visitors at the campus.