Paul Shoemaker, Holly Springs Farm
Vegetable Season Extension Project
Grant Award: $8,000
To alleviate the constraints of late spring and early fall frosts, Paul installed two high tunnels with end walls. The tunnels will extend the farm’s normal seasonal production of vegetables about a month earlier in the spring and about a month later in the fall, benefiting production of both frost-sensitive crops like tomatoes and frost-tolerant crops like spinach and kale.
The early harvest will give Paul a strong foot-hold in the three farmers markets where he sells, gaining customer loyalty earlier than he is now able to. Paul estimates the extended season will increase farm sales by 20-30 percent.
Paul sells at three farmers markets and has five restaurant clients, including Sierra Nevada Brewery, which is located a short distance from his farm.