Winter temperatures in Alliance, Nebraska can drop to -20°F, but retired mailman Russ Finch grows oranges in his backyard greenhouse without paying for heat. Instead, he draws on the earth’s stable temperature (around 52 degrees in his region) to grow warm weather produce- citrus, figs, pomegranates – in the snow.
cold climate greenhouse
Geothermal Greenhouse: It REALLY Worked!
“This geothermal greenhouse design worked perfectly through our negative 17 degree winter weather here in SE Idaho. I couldn’t be more pleased with the results. It is affordable and it works. Two things that I love when they come together.”
The Winter Harvest with Eliot Coleman
“This is Eliot Coleman’s presentation at the Asheville Mother Earth News Fair in April of 2016. Eliot is a celebrated farming expert encouraging people and communities to choose locally grown organic food. He helped pioneer the movement with his first book “The New Organic Grower” published over 20 years ago. He continues leading the way, expanding the limits of the harvest season deep into and through winter at his world-renowned farm in Harborside, Maine.
Cheap, Lean, and DIY Greenhouses
A simple greenhouse design by Urban Farmer Curtis Stone that is fast and cheap to install. Also known as Caterpillar Tunnels. Cost is about $1,000 for a 12’ x 100’ poly tunnel made with 1-3/8” galvanized top rail tubing that’s used on chain link fences. Metal hoops are 4’ apart.
Curtis Stone: Passive Solar Greenhouse
Curtis Stone, The Urban Farmer, explains how he built his cold climate greenhouse in Canada. As usual for The Urban Farmer, the video is packed with interesting details. Note his comments on how he saved $10,000 by avoiding the common trap of overengineering. Curtis Stone’s videos and book explain how to make $100,000 farming ½ acre you don’t own.
UM builds passive solar greenhouse to grow fresh veggies year-round
“A subcontractor with Bad Goat Forest Products, Braverman was just hours away from finishing what many believe will be the first passive solar greenhouse in Missoula.
“The idea is, the sun will hit the earth bags all day long and during the night, they’ll radiate back the heat and maintain a more even temperature,” said Braverman. “They’re thinking they’ll be able to use this all winter.”