In 2009, The University of Maryland Extension Service in Garrett County (Willie Lantz) and the Wye Research and Education Center (Mike Newell) were awarded a Maryland Specialty Crop Grant from the USDA and Maryland Dept of Agriculture. The grant addressed a marketing problem for local and regional small fruit producers, the unavailabilty of their products for much of the year. Yet, the state of Maryland has a wide variation in climates, from 120 to 240 days of growing conditions and from cold hardiness zone 5 in the mountains to zone 8 or higher along the southern eastern shore. With the use of low chill varieties in tunnels, and everbearing or primocane fruiting varieties in the cool mountain summers, we, in Maryland, can extend our season and produce for 11 to 12 months a year.
The assumption is that MARKETING companies are formed, as they are elsewhere. The companies would consist of several farmers in different locations who would funnel their goods through their company. These growers, using their size advantage, consistantly available product, and the quality differences from being locally produced, would demand higher prices to offset higher production costs.
One way of offsetting higher mid winter heating costs on the eastern shore would be to use earthtube heating to prevent freezing in tunnels. An 250 ft. earthtube was installed at the eastern shore site.
In another project at Ryan's Glade Farm, a combination of windpower generated heat, vertical tower production systems and floating rowcovers are being tested in Garrett County's mountains to extend strawberry production.
Please see Production Scheme and Production Experiences pages for details.
Five Aces Breeding LLC
