Agricultural News
Upcoming Symposium Focuses on Hoop House Utilization
Wed, 02 Oct 2013 16:18:02 CDT
High tunnel hoop houses are playing an increasingly important role in horticulture.
Hoop houses are low-cost, non-heated greenhouse structures used by hobby and market gardeners to extend the growing season and manage weather-related production risks. To help market and hobby gardeners better use these structures, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation will host a two-day Hoop House Symposium on Wednesday, Oct. 23, and Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013. This symposium will consist of a workshop on day one followed by a tour of local hoop house operations on day two.
"Hoop houses offer growers a multitude of advantages compared to traditional field culture," said Steve Upson, Noble Foundation horticulture consultant. "Hoop houses can extend the growing season for fruits and vegetables to provide marketing advantages. The houses can also reduce production risks associated with insect pests and diseases."
Day one of the symposium will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Southern Oklahoma Technology Center, located at 2610 Sam Noble Parkway in Ardmore, Okla. The workshop will include a historic overview of the Noble Foundation hoop house research and demonstration program, crop cultural guidelines, selection and construction considerations, management challenges, and rainwater harvesting. A grower panel discussion will conclude day one.
The workshop will feature a guest speaker, Lewis Jett, Ph.D. Jett is a horticulture specialist with West Virginia University Extension. He will provide recommendations on growing a wide variety of specialty crops in hoop houses.
Day two will be from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will begin at the Noble Foundation Agricultural Division Building. The tour will consist of three stops at local hoop house operations: Leon's Greenhouses in Kingston, Okla.; Peach Crest Farms in Stratford, Okla.; and Phocas Farms in Edmond, Okla. Participants will have the opportunity to tour each operation.
Registration fee for each day is $20 and includes lunch. Preregistration is required. For more information or to register, please visit www.noble.org/agevents or contact Jackie Kelley at 580.224.6360.
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