Lessons Learned: Stories of Challenges and Successes Jay Sleichter Jay’s Jellies Produce and More Clay Center, Kansas
Our Farm We live on 5 acres north of Clay Center. We have currently about 1 acre in production. We started experimenting with High Tunnels in 2008 and built 2 in 2009. We built 3 more tunnels in 2010 with two being movable. In 2011 we will be replacing our smallest tunnel with a much larger model. In 2013 we added our 6th tunnel a 26 ft by 72 ft model. In the winter growing season of 2015-2016 we will have over 6,100 square feet in high tunnels and over 2,600 in low tunnels for over 8,700 square feet in protected growing environments. For comparison, that is bigger than two high school basketball courts.
Family
Challenges –
Limited money • Homemade/preowned vs. New • Renting/borrowing vs. buying
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Limited time • Full time teacher with 5 kids • Summers off but full of activities
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Limited space • Only 5 acres
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Limited labor • Not wanting to hire help
Success – Tractor – Hand
tools/ Seeders
– Harvesting/Processing – Change
in production methods/High tunnels
Successes: Tractor Kubota B7100 16 HP • “Right” sized • Allows 30 inch beds • Runs tiller, mulch layer, ripper, mower, disk hiller, plow, lister plow, irrigation pipe layer
Success: Tractor
Success: Tractor Homemade Mulch Layer -lays 3 foot plastic with drip tape -Over 100ft a minute How it runs?
Successes: Hand Tools/Seeders Seeders (Earthway, Jang, Planet-Jr, Pinpoint) Rogue Hoe Scuffle hoe Stand-n-Plant seeder Wire Weeder
Successes: Harvesting/Processing Walk-in Cooler with Cool-Bot -Allows better use of time, harvest, wash and put in cooler -Stores winter roots -Keeps produce colder -Cost: Cool-Bot $300 A/C unit- $200-$300 plus electrical Walk in cooler $200
Successes: Harvesting/Processing • Carrot Washer
Successes: Production Methods • Planning the whole year • Succession Plantings • Only growing what you can sell • High tunnels vs low tunnels vs outside growing • Change in production methods – Head lettuce vs Salad mix – Trellis Cucumbers vs on ground
Successes: Production Methods • Planning the whole year - when to start seedlings - transplanting - expected harvest Resources: spring and summer -many Winter Johnny’s Winter Planting Schedule
Successes: Production Methods Succession Planting -Tomatoes monthly -Zucchini monthly -Cucumbers monthly -Lettuce every 3 weeks -Carrots monthly
Successes: Production Methods Only grow what you can sell, listen to your customers and watch what they are buying Example: 900-1000 tomatoes plants Spread out over 4 or 5 plantings March 15-20 350 plants in high tunnel April 15- 225 plants in low tunnel May 15-225plants outside June, Father’s Day- 125 outside in a movable high tunnel spot by July 4th-50 inside high tunnel
Successes: Production Methods • High Tunnel vs Low Tunnel vs Outside - Using different methods help bridge the gap in production. Also spreads out your labor (not doing everything at once)
Successes: Production Methods • Low Tunnels
Success: High Tunnels
Success: Homemade High Tunnels
Success: Homemade High Tunnels
Success: Homemade Movable High Tunnels
Our High Tunnels
Homemade 18.5 by 48 feet x2
30 ft by 48 ft
Biggest 26 ft by 72 ft
Homemade and Movable 16 ft by 32 ft Both have 3 growing spots and are moved 3-4 times a year
Movable Tunnels
Our Farm
Questions? Jay and Linda Sleichter www.jaysjellies.com jaysjellies@yahoo.com