Download Raspberry Production in Tunnels @ High Meadows Farm Westminster West, VT

Raspberry Production in Tunnels
@ High Meadows Farm
Westminster West, VT
The Tunnel
 30 x 90 ft Harnois Oval Tech II
(the wider the house the harder it is for
cross ventilation)
 Roll up side walls + Roll up roof vent
 Estimated $10,000 - 12,000 new for frame,
materials and labor
Our Tunnel Costs
 Used Frame: $3,000
 1 sheet of plastic: $300
 Drip Tape: $500
 Labor* to construct house + skin: $1,200
 End walls including labor: $500
 Total amount: $5,500
* At least for the first house it’s necessary to
employ a professional to oversee the
construction
Plastic
 One layer of soft poly plastic typically lasts
4-5 years
 Plastic on ours lasted 3 years due to hail
damage
 Double inflated could last for 5-6 years and
also create enough pressure to not be
damaged by incoming objects
 Stronger plastics providing sufficient light
diffusion and less hot spots are available,
allowing for the use of one layer
Soil Preparation
 Commercial grower should use 500 lbs. per
acre of 10-10-10 or make applications
according to soil tests (Nourse)
 Before putting the tunnel up we prepared the
soil by tilling in:
10 tons of used potting soil (comprised of VT
Compost and Faferd) saved for 5 years
1200 lbs. of Lime
 Using a bedmaker we made 4 beds, complete
with driplines under black plastic mulch
Spacing
 The four beds are spaced 6 ft apart
 Six feet of black woven ground cover is laid between
beds
 Plants are planted every 18 inches, (24 inches is
suggested by experts)
 In the future we might try using 8 ft ground cover and
no plastic mulch so that it is easier to access plants in
order to fertilize, etc.
Establishing the Tunnel
Maintenance
 Pruning
 Trellising
 Weed Control
 Fertilizing
 Pest issues
 Harvest
Pruning
 Early Spring:
 Cut down all plants leaving as little of a stub as
possible from the ground
 Early Summer:
 When plants are 4.5 feet tall cut the tops so that
the plants are about 4 feet tall
 Thin out suckers so that 4-6 canes per foot of row
remain
Trellising
 We use a simple technique Wooden stakes and twine
 8 foot stakes are at least 2 in. thick
 Pound in a stake every 8 ft on both sides of a bed
 Starting at the base of the plant tightly wrap twine every
2 ft around each staked bed
 By using this method hidden berries will expose themselves
thus increasing the harvest
Every Farm needs a magic redheaded raspberry elf!
Weed Control
 All plants are under black
plastic mulch to minimize
weeds
 Black ground cover
between rows
 Regular weeding is
necessary, especially
during the growing season
 Make sure not to cultivate
more than an inch deep
when around the base of
the plant due to the
shallow root system
Fertilizing
 In new plantings, apply blended fertilizer around each plant.
Once the planting is established, fertilize yearly by the first of
May. Evenly distribute fertilizer (½ cup) per plant.
 During the season, for now we use Daniels Pinnacle 3-1-1
 This liquid fertilizer is applied through the dripline with water
once every two weeks during the spring for abundant
vegetative growth
 As plants start to flower we stop fertilization, but still water
 Raspberries need 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week from
flowering until harvest
Pest Issues
Spotted Wing Drosophila
 Found around the 2nd week of august this year
 Symptoms:
 Larvae in berries
 Treatment:
 Pick out all berries in house and spray Entrust.
 After each spray must wait four days before picking again. We
sprayed twice
 Result:
 Significantly less infected berries
Spider Mites
 Can be present all year long
 Prevalent during hot dry
Periods
 Make sure to be watering more
 Symptoms:
 Discoloration of leaves - areas of white striping, bronze dots
 Leaves become brittle and fall
 Treatment:
 Released Neoseiulus Fallacis (optimal temp 50-80 Degrees)
 Result:
 Definitely released the predatory mite too late, although spider mites
didn’t cause too much more damage
 Fast mite= good mite
slow mite= bad mite
green stink bug nymph
Green Stink Bugs
 Stink bugs have five nymphal stages as they mature
 They eventually become green with orange and black markings.
 At full size, green stink bugs are bright green and about 3/4 inch
long
 Symptoms:
 Feed on leaves and stems
 Treatment:
?
 Result:
?
Harvesting
 July 9th: Started picking
 November 10th: Stopped picking
 In July the picking is about 10 half pints an hour
 In August picking is about 15 half pints per hour
(That is until the fruit flies came)
 This reduced picking average to about 6 uninfected half
pints an hour
 In the 2nd week of September there were no more
traces of fruit flies and the picking average leveled out
at 12 half pints per hour
 Instead of using clam shells we use the half
pint fiber containers and plastic lids
For two years our raspberries have been a
GAP Certified crop
Prices
 Retail price for our half pint pre-fruit fly was
$3.75
 During and after the invasion $4.00
 Since customers were ok with the end of the
year price we will start next year with the
$4.00 per half pint price
Yields/Profit
SALES
PRICE
QTY
Sales
Retail Estimate
3.60
1336
4810
Wholesale
2.67
37
99
Total Picked
3.57
1373
4908
LABOR
PAY
HRS
Labor
Pick Labor
15
140.75
2111
Other Labor
15
13.00
195
Total Labor
15
153.75
2306
SUPPLIES
401
GROSS PROFIT
2201
Marketing
Efficient Tunnel Use
Pros
Allows for picking no matter the weather
Early Harvest/ Season Extension
Frost Protection
Preventative for airborne diseases
Cons
Needs shade cloth mid-summer
-we use a 50% mesh
Takes up space for potentially
more profitable crops
Primocane Varieties
• Polana- Earliest to ripen, smaller
• Autumn Britten- ripens early nice and plump
• Caroline- very vigorous
• Anne- large yellow fruit
• Joan J- a high yielding thornless variety
• Jaclyn- very firm, resistant to sun scald
Autumn Britten
Caroline
Joan J
Anne
Jaclyn
Whats the next niche?