Priscilla Williamson, NRCS supervisory district conservationist, (left), enjoys seeing all the varieties of tomatoes ripening in the newly constructed seasonal high tunnel.
Hattie Thompson has a heart for growing healthy food for her community thanks to the help of her new seasonal high tunnel.
“My mission is to network throughout the local community with other growers who might be interested in doing the same thing, and to teach children and mothers about nutrition,” said Thompson, who farms in Leake County, Mississippi.
After 50 years of city life in Wisconsin, Thompson and her husband moved to the country near Carthage, Mississippi, when they inherited some land 10 years ago. The small six-acre farm is landscaped with fruit trees and an abundance of beautiful flowers. Chickens, guineas and turkeys also call the farm home.
It was Thompson’s neighbors who told her about USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), who could help her with conservation practices on her farm. When she visited with Priscilla Williamson, NRCS supervisory district conservationist, she learned about the agency’s Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
Seasonal high tunnels are plastic-covered structures that enable farmers to have crops ready earlier or later in the season. Plants are grown directly in the ground, and the sun’s heat regulates the temperature inside. High tunnels are a cornerstone of USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative, which coordinates USDA’s work on local and regional food systems.
Thompson immediately realized that a high tunnel was a perfect fit for her small acreage farm. It would also fulfill her desire to produce healthy food. Working with Williamson, Thompson was approved to receive financial assistance through EQIP on a high tunnel and construction soon began. It was a family project with one of her five sons, Kevin, helping construct the high tunnel, also helping Thompson save some money.
Hattie Thompson of Carthage, Mississippi, shows the huge crop of string beans she produced in her new seasonal high tunnel on her small farm.
“She is a very energetic lady and one who gets things done quickly,” Williamson said.
An amazing variety of tomatoes, string beans, cucumbers, peppers, watermelons, squash and herbs are grown and ready for farmer’s markets, as well as the entire Thompson family. Pollinator-friendly plants, such as huge sunflowers, surround the tunnel helping to attract bees to aid in pollination.
“Using the high tunnel enables me to grow healthy food almost all year long,” Thompson said.
She does her own composting of chicken litter, wood chips and other organic material and uses it for fertilizing the naturally grown vegetables and fruits in the high tunnel. Through EQIP, a micro-irrigation system was also installed inside the high tunnel. This irrigation system allows water to be delivered near the roots of plants, ensuring water is used wisely.
“A lot of hard work goes into all this, but it’s worth it to give something to the community,” Thompson said.
Thompson planted rows of sunflowers and cut flowers along the outer edges of the high tunnel to serve as pollinators for all the plants inside.
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