HOW TO FIND A REPUTABLE CONTRACTOR TO BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME

 

Finding a reputable contractor to build your dream country home can be challenging, especially if you're new to the area and/or have never built a home from scratch. Here, we share 7 tips on how to find a reputable contractor.

If building a custom home in the country is part of your life’s plan, you’re in the right place.

However, as anyone who has built a home from scratch will tell you, your success at executing your dream home vision (without suffering from a stress-related injury) is contingent upon finding a reputable contractor.

Unfortunately, we’ve all heard the horror stories of abandoned projects, shoddy craftsmanship, endless delays, permitting problems and even theft or fraud by contractors, all of which can leave families with little recourse.

We want to help you avoid these problems.

Here are seven helpful tips for selecting a reputable and skilled contractor to build your dream country home.

Tip 1: Ask Friends, Family, Colleagues and Local Building Experts for Referrals

Referrals are typically one of the safest ways to find an honest and reputable general contractor.

However, make sure those giving the referral have actually used the person they are recommending, ideally fairly recently, and are not just trying to do a favor for a friend or family member.

From there, you can research the contractor online, read reviews and even ask around town at the local Chamber of Commerce or building inspectors to glean more information.

If you’re new to the area and don’t know anyone local, it’s best to start with your land agent or realtor, the local Chamber of Commerce, and/or contact the county building inspector or local home inspectors to see if they can recommend a local contractor.

Home improvement sites like Angi, Thumbtack or Homeadvisor, and even NextDoor (a social media site for neighborhood information) may also be helpful starting points for contractor referrals.

Avoid choosing a contractor online at random if possible. 

Even if they have an impressive portfolio, an excellent website and glowing reviews, these could be fabricated and/or embellished. 

Likewise, an outdated website may not represent the quality of their work (they could be too busy with clients to maintain their online presence), nor would one bad review necessarily indicate a problem, as there are two sides to every story.

However, several bad reviews would be cause to avoid that particular contractor.

Tip 2: Vet Potential Contractors Using Online & Offline Resources like The Better Business Bureau and Local Chamber of Commerce

Once you have a referral, even if it’s a glowing referral from your best friend or mother, you must do your due diligence to vet the contractor before engaging them.

The first place to start is by using offline resources, like your local Chamber of Commerce, land agent or a local home inspector, to learn more about the contractor. 

Online resources, such as the Better Business Bureau or home improvement vetting sites, are also helpful.

Tip 3: Research Contractor Licensing and Insurance Requirements for Your State & County

Not all states and/or counties require contractors to be licensed and bonded, and not all contractors have licenses or insurance.

However, it pays to know the laws and best practices before you start interviewing.

Regardless, every GC should have insurance to protect you from worker liability.

Tip 4: Start Interviewing Before You’re Ready to Build (or better yet, before you buy your land)

One of the most important features and considerations when buying raw land is where to build your home.

Unfortunately, many people choose their ideal build site without consulting an expert, only to discover later it’s not suitable for building.

This is why engaging a contractor before you buy your land is ideal, as they can help you determine the best building site.

Plus, it’s a good way to interview potential candidates by testing their knowledge of site prep and location.

Tip 5: Ask For References (and actually call them)

It is critical to ask for references — plural — from contractors and actually call them. If you can go and look at some of their past work, even better.

Some questions to ask references include:

• How did you find this contractor? Did you know him before he worked for you? (if they say he’s their brother, cousin, best friend, daughter, niece, etc., they likely will not give an unbiased opinion)
• Were you happy with the job overall?
• Did they stay within your budget?
• How was the communication?
• Were there any major surprises, unanticipated problems or costs along the way?
• Did they honor the terms of the contract?
• Was the GC on-site every day?
• Did he or she and their crew do most of the work or hire most things out?
• Was the contractor helpful in recommending suppliers and other tradespeople for the job?
• Did you feel you got a good value for the time, quality and money?
• Did they stay within the timeframe?
• How is the work holding up?
• Was everyone on the team polite and helpful when you visited the build site?
• Was there anything you were dissatisfied with?
• Would you use them again or recommend them to a friend?
• Is there anything else I should know before hiring them?

Do not just rely on online reviews. 

People often write a glowing review before they have lived in their home for several months or years, at which time they may (or may not) discover various problems.

Bottom line: Get at least three references, call them and ask detailed questions. If they invite you to come out and see the work for yourself, take them up on it.  Feel free to contact the Rural KC Team-Keller Williams Realty Partners for any questions you might have or for any of your rural real estate needs.  

CATTLE COMPARISON: PASURE-RAISED, GRASS FED CATTLE VS FEEDLOT, GRAIN-FINISHED CATTLE

 

Grass fed beef is everywhere, from the grocery store to the restaurant menu. But what does “grass fed” actually mean? 

Grass fed beef became popular so quickly that many folks were told to think it is “better”, without actually knowing any details. However, when you are able to see what the industrial, conventional production model looks like, it becomes clear that grass fed beef is better for animals, the environment, and rural communities.

Unfortunately, the industrialized, centralized food system has obscured what commodity food production actually looks like. Here, we pull back the curtain to reveal the real difference between pasture-raised, grass fed cattle and feedlot, grain-finished cattle. 

What do these terms even mean?

Let’s start by clarifying some of the confusing vocabulary:

Conventional and Grain-Finished: All cattle in the United States start out on pasture, eating grass–technically, you could call all of this beef grass fed. However, after the calves are weaned (at less than a year old), conventionally-raised cattle are shipped to centralized feedlots known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Here, they are fed grain for several months to fatten up quickly before slaughter. This is why you will typically see these conventional cattle referred to as grain-finished.

 

Grass fed and Pasture-Raised: At White Oak Pastures, we refer to our cattle as grass fed and pasture-raised. Our cattle eat grass, as they were intended to, and we do not feed them any grain. We make the “pasture-raised” distinction because unfortunately, a producer may use a confined feedlot model, and if they technically feed the cattle grasses and hay on that feedlot, they can still market their beef as grass fed. However, our grass fed beef comes from animals who were raised on pasture, free to express their instinctive behaviors. We are committed to the welfare of our animals, who were born to roam and graze.

Here are the main ways in which pasture-raised, grass fed model differs from conventional industrial agriculture:

 Cattle Environment

Typical commodity, corn-finished cattle are confined to feedlot operations where movement is limited. These animals have feed and water brought to them, which means they gain weight faster.

Grass fed cattle raised on strictly forage (grass) diets are very active. As pasture-raised animals move to forage and access water, they burn calories and fat. These animals take longer to gain weight and are slaughtered at an older age. This activity and diet means that grass fed beef tends to be leaner than commodity beef items.

 Cattle Diet

Conventional animals are “finished” by being fattened eating grains like corn, which is an unnatural diet high in carbohydrates. These animals may gain 5-6 pounds per day on the concentrated high-energy grain feed. Grains are digested faster than the cellulose cattle would get in a normal grazing diet, so these animals can eat more food and gain weight faster. The grain diet is tough on a ruminant’s digestive system, and they become unnaturally obese creatures with issues like ulcers, metabolic disorders, and suppressed immune systems. Conventional cattle are typically about 18 months old when they are slaughtered, but these young animals are literally already dying of obesity and sedentary lifestyle diseases.

Our cattle graze on our pastures, because ruminants have a four-part stomach designed to break down cellulose in forage (grass, pasture, hay). Our grass fed cattle gain weight at a natural rate, staying healthy and strong throughout their entire lives. If they were not slaughtered, they would live out the normal life expectancy of a cow, which is over 20 years of age.

Antibiotic Use

Conventional cattle are finished in confined feedlots, a high-risk environment for disease because of so many animals in close proximity. Industrial farmers preemptively treat herds with antibiotics, contributing to the likelihood of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. These antibiotics are also sometimes supplemented with synthetic vitamins and steroids to encourage unnaturally fast fattening.

Our cattle are kept in herds on pasture. They develop strong immune systems naturally, without the use of antibiotics. They also gain weight at a natural rate without supplements. Our cattle are Certified Grass fed by the American Grass fed Association, Certified Humane, and Certified EOV by the Savory Institute.

 Environmental Impact

The unnatural diet fed to conventional beef is not only unhealthy for their digestive systems, but these grains also come from industrial monoculture crop systems. Commodity grain is produced using industrial agriculture methods, like pesticides, chemical fertilizers, tillage, and GMOs. Conventional grain production further degrades soils and our environment. In addition, the “runoff” of enormous amounts of concentrated manure from CAFOs has been found to pollute neighboring ecosystems and waterways.

Our cattle are part of a multi-species, holistic grazing system that uses animal impact to actually support healthy, robust ecosystems. Managed grazing of grass fed cattle speeds up plant growth, encourages water percolation, aerates the soil, and adds nutrients back to the land through manure. Cattle grazing sets natural cycles in motion, improving the productivity of land even beyond what it would be as inactive pasture.

Third-party researchers have shown that our grass fed cattle actually sequester more carbon than they emit during their entire lifetimes. The way that we produce grass fed cattle is a model that can be used as a tool to help mitigate climate change, if consumers choose to support it.

Cattle Breeds

When CAFOs became widespread, a completely different type of animal was needed to be bred to be able to perform in this environment. Feedlot cattle need to be taller and “slab-sided” to be able to stand in a feedlot covered in mud, muck, and manure. Ranchers also looked for cattle with digestive systems more amenable to an unnatural diet dense with carbohydrate grains.

White Oak Pastures uses our own bulls to breed our own herd. We choose animals that can sustain healthy, fertile genetics that thrive in south Georgia pasture. Our cattle have shorter legs, thicker “spring rib” bodies, and bigger rumen. We’re selecting for livestock that are physically sound, vital, muscular, and possess "a great will to live". 

 Country of Origin

Unfortunately, because of weak USDA labeling rules, much of the grass fed beef you may find labeled as “Product of the USA” in the grocery store is not from the United States at all. As long as meat passes through a U.S.-based inspection plant, and/or is blended with meat from animals born and raised in the U.S., it can be labeled as “Product of the USA”. Cattle can be born, raised, and slaughtered in another country, then the meat is shipped to the United States and processed. It’s estimated that 75-80% of total U.S. grass fed beef sales by value are imported. This greenwashing is devastating for American ranchers.

Our cattle are raised on our pastures and slaughtered on our farm. With our grass fed beef, the consumer can know that the cattle were born, raised, and processed right here in south Georgia. And if you want to know more about the labeling of grass fed beef, there are many resources about the proposed U.S. Beef Integrity Act.

Waste

Conventional beef producers operate in a linear, extractive system. Cattle are brought to a processing plant and slaughtered for products that can be sold in a grocery store or wholesale. The rest of the animal is viewed as a waste product, with valuable nutrients sold to renderers. 

Our farm is committed to zero waste practices, meaning that if we can't sell something to customers, we still view it as part of a natural cycle. We turn some of the animal into handmade leather products, tallow products, or pet chews. If we cannot use a part of the animal, like blood and certain viscera, we compost it and return the nutrients to the soil in our pasture.

 

Slaughter

Conventional cattle are slaughtered in systems that give a traumatic end-of-life for the animals. They are first packed into large trucks to be transported long distances to centralized meatpacking plants. Most plants rely on mechanized slaughter methods for maximum speed of slaughter. Some plants can slaughter 400 head of cattle per HOUR. 

Our cattle are slaughtered and butchered by hand in our on-farm, zero-waste, USDA-inspected processing abattoir. The animals do not need to travel long distances to our on-farm processing plant. Our workers move the cattle by hand throughout the plant, running our abattoirs at what we call a humane rate of slaughter. These efforts prioritize the welfare of both our animals and our employees. Our red meat plant slaughters about 100 head of cattle per WEEK.

Worker Conditions

Conventional cattle are processed by meatpacking workers who receive low wages and operate in unsafe working conditions. These large, centralized meatpacking plants continue to destabilize our country’s food system and make it more fragile.

Our cattle are processed in our on-farm abattoir, providing local jobs that are kept in our community. With 165 employees, our farm is the largest private employer in one of the poorest counties, in one of the poorest states in the country. These opportunities power rural revival and help create a resilient food system.

 Resiliency

On April 27, 2020, a headline on CNN read a quote from a Tyson executive: “Food Supply Is Breaking” in the U.S. The consolidation of these multinational companies over decades leaves them incredibly fragile to any disruptions. There are fewer meatpacking plants than ever: just 50 plants process 98% of America’s meat supply. So when a dozen of the big processing plants close, their entire production system starts to break down. 

Our on-farm processing plant is designed to withstand shocks to the system, because we have built resiliency into our operations. Our pasture-raised animals are healthy enough that we can simply let them stay on pasture in the case of a delay in scheduled slaughter (and they don’t die of sedentary diseases in the meantime). Our two on-farm abattoirs are run at a humane rate of slaughter, valuing the life of both our livestock and our workers. Because of our size and business model, we are able to modify operations as needed to ensure the health and safety of our workers and community. 

In the words of Will Harris,

“The food production industry traded its resiliency for efficiency. It was a really bad swap. Especially for the animals, the environment, and rural America. To gain this efficiency, in order to produce obscenely cheap food, the cycles of nature were made to be linear. This allowed food production to be scaled up… To the point where it is too big to succeed.”

Thank you for reading the blog. If you are interested in some really great tasting and good for you beef, I would suggest contacting White Oak.  If you are interested in buying or selling rural property, please give The Rural KC Team-Keller Williams Realty Partners a call.  913-837-0760 or 913-837-0411.

 

TIPS FOR BUYING HUNTING PROPERTY

It’s the American dream of every hunter – to own their own slice of deer hunting heaven. It doesn’t matter how big or small it may be, owning a chunk of land is special and something we all dream about as sportsmen. Unfortunately, not enough of us act on our dreams and sadly, that’s ultimately what they remain . . . just dreams. How awesome would it be to earn extra income on a property you purchased for hunting? Pretty awesome if you ask me! You need to know how to find, evaluate, and buy your dream property. 

 Step 1: What’s your number? Before you even begin to search, you have to know what you can comfortably afford. Comfortably, being the operative word. Too many people think that because a bank gave them approval for a loan of $X amount, that they can afford it. This may be true if you aren’t spending any money on food, coffee, clothes, and other disposable items throughout the week, but in order to truly understand what you can afford, you need to do a deep dive into your monthly expenses. Learn where you can cut and save during the course of a month. If you don’t have the money, then you need to start saving or get creative. In order to increase the amount of land one could possibly afford, many people turn to partners, as was the case for me. Partners add income and resources that can be invaluable. Not only on the financial front, but also in terms of labor and pure enjoyment of the property. It’s no secret that hunting is an activity enjoyed most with others. Joining forces with a TRUSTED partner can be a great way to increase your funds and ultimately the amount of property you can afford. Once you figure out how much you (and your partners) can comfortably afford, you’ll then want to begin the process of finding a lender. 

 Step 2: Find a lender. Getting preapproved prior to writing up an offer on a property will save you a lot of headaches down the road. Not only will it confirm what you can afford, but it also makes the transaction process much smoother, and you won’t have to go through the excitement of getting an accepted offer only to later feel the pain if you find out you can’t get the financing. The preapproval process isn’t set in stone, but as long as you don’t go out and spend a ton of money on something else between the time you got preapproved and submitted the offer, you should be free and clear. You’ll want to start the preapproval process sooner than later because finding a lender for vacant land can be much more challenging than finding one for a house. Why? Vacant land is much riskier for lenders. It’s pretty unlikely that you’ll be able to get financing from your local bank on a piece of vacant, recreational land. You’ll likely have to work to find a lender who deals specifically with vacant recreational and farm land. Talk to your real estate agent to find out who they would recommend. In this Wired to Hunt Podcast, Dan Perez, owner of Whitetail Properties, discusses the best ways to find a lender for hunting land. Once you’re approved, let the shopping begin! 

Step 3: Find a Real Estate Agent. Finding a notable real estate professional (Rural KC-Keller Williams Partners) to represent you as the buyer can save you thousands in the end. When you’re looking for a real estate agent to represent you, it’s best to find one who knows a little something about hunting and hunting land. In most cases, you’ll likely end up using a different agent than that of which you bought your house, simply because they are probably not experienced in the world of hunting land. Reaching out to someone you know who has experience with hunting land or a land specialist from the likes of a hunting specific real estate company can be extremely beneficial. They’ll help make the process go smoothly and layout many important considerations along the way. 

Step 4: Start Shopping for Deer Hunting Property. Once you have the first three ducks in a row (Budget, Lender, Agent), you can start looking for your dream property. Just like searching for a house, you should lay out key features that are important to you and stick to them. List everything you want in order of importance to help guide you through the process of finding a property. Roughly 100 acres A 60/40 split between wooded and ag land In a “good” area. Huntability.  Good access to entire property Areas for food plots Good tree-stand trees. On top of those property features, you hope to obtain it below market value as a way to add immediate equity to our investment. Lay out your criteria and stick to them. The last thing you want to do is to overpay for a piece of land that isn’t up to your standards simply because you got excited about owning your own property. 

Step 5: Research and Evaluate This is a two-stage process. The first stage should begin while you’re looking for a property and happens on more of a county or regional level. Once you figure out where you’d like to own property, start talking to local wildlife biologists and conservation wardens to understand the local populations and other factors that may play into your decision to buy a certain hunting property. This is especially important if you’re looking at land in a new area or a couple hours from home. They will understand local factors much better than you.  Once you’ve got a target county or area you’d like to purchase land in, the next bit of research and evaluation comes when you are supremely interested in a property. This property should match the criteria you’ve outlined earlier fairly closely. If it doesn’t, you’re probably settling for something less than ideal, simply because you want to own hunting property so badly. Don’t be a settler. The first thing you should do when you find a property of interest is to pull it up on Google Earth and begin to understand the layout and the surrounding areas. Google Earth allows you to view the landscape at all levels which is key to understanding deer movement. It’s important to look at the entire neighborhood, not just the listed property. On average, the home range of any given deer is usually between 300 – 600 acres. . . that’s practically one square mile. I’d say that’s one of the biggest errors landowners and prospective buyers make – they only look between their property boundaries. Just because you’re stuck between legal boundaries doesn’t mean your hunting strategy should be. Follow the chunks of cover, find out how most deer will be travelling. Look for any surrounding ag fields that might serve as destination feeding fields. Travel corridors, food, drainages, terrain, and funnels are just a few things you should be looking at when you start to dissect the deer hunting potential on your property. Think outside the boundaries. Another important aspect to look into at this time is if the property is enrolled in any special government programs that may impact your decision to buy or do certain habitat improvements like CRP Lands or Managed Forests Lands. Once you’re comfortable with how things setup in the local area, start dissecting the property you hope to own. Fall back on your criteria: Is there good access? Good spots for food plots? Quality soil? Favorable terrain? etc. Pay more attention to the things you can’t change like the location, terrain, and accessibility; the other stuff you can gradually improve yourself like clearing areas for food plots or adding more trails. 

Step 6: Boots on the Ground. If you like what you saw while scouting from afar, it’s now time to physically walk the property. All the research you’ve done is pointing to this property being the one of your dreams, now get out there and confirm it. If you can, walk the property with the current owner or somebody that may have experience hunting the property. Ask a lot of questions! How’s the deer hunting? How are the neighbors? Are there trespassing issues? Poaching issues? These are all important questions to be asking. Not only will you be gaining extremely helpful insight, but you’ll also be building a good relationship with the current owner/seller. Aside from asking questions, your main objective is to scout the property during your visit. Is there a lot of deer sign? Quality food, cover, and water? What might need improvement? How much will the improvements cost? Are there good trees to hang stands in? Etc. etc. Creating a list of these types of questions before hand will help you dissect the property as you walk around. Make a list and check them off once you’ve confirmed whatever question it was you were asking. Be sure to write down any questions along the way. It’s way too easy to forget questions that may have arose during the tour as a result of you getting googly eyed over the thought of owning such a property. If you like what you see, it’s probably time to make an offer. 

Step 7: Make an Offer. This is a BIG step! So far it’s been all talk and no walk. The talk is cheap, but the offer is expensive! If you’ve confirmed your criteria, like what you see, and have adequate funds, you shouldn’t have too much to be worried about. One word of caution is to not let the excitement cloud reality. This is a big purchase and far too often, buyers end up convincing themselves that some problems may be minor, when in reality they are major all because they fell in love with the property. Even though you’ve got to jump on a great deal while you can, take some time to make sure it is, indeed, a great deal. Allow time for your emotions to settle, so that you can properly evaluate. Don’t make an impulse buy. Show it to an unbiased hunting buddy and see what they think. Congratulations, if you’ve made it this far and still like the property, it’s time to sign and submit your offer. Don’t be afraid to throw in a reasonably low offer, especially if it’s been sitting for a while. If the seller counters, you’ll know they are willing to come down. If they don’t, you’re likely not in their wheelhouse and they are unwilling to play games. Negotiation is an art, you’ve got to stick to your guns and call their bluff, all while hoping you don’t offend the seller or allow someone else to come sweeping in with a more attractive offer.

Step 8: Enjoy It! There’s nothing more exhilarating than getting a call from your realtor saying they accepted the offer. Once you make it through closing you can officially let the good times roll! Congratulations on achieving what was once just a dream. 

If you are currently looking for hunting ground, please give the Rural KC Team-Keller Williams Realty Partners a call. We can help. 913-837-0760 or 913-837-0411

HIGH TUNNELS FOR BEGINNERS, HOMESTEADERS AND HOBBY FARMS

 

Buying a high tunnel is a big investment for homesteaders, farmers, or hobby farmers, and it raises many questions. Here, a farmer shares his experience and tips on selecting, building, and maintaining a high tunnel.

One of the hardest things about starting a farm is deciding where to invest first.

Like many, we started our regenerative herb farm with a limited budget, and had to ask ourselves: should we mechanize to improve efficiency, like with a walk-behind tractor, or add infrastructure to improve self-sufficiency and extend our growing capacity with a high tunnel?

Since we couldn't do both, we re-evaluated our priorities and decided on a high tunnel. Spoiler alert: it was the right choice!

However, there is a lot I wish I had known before investing in this project, which is what this article is all about.

Here we'll discuss everything you need to know about high tunnels for your land, including what they are (high tunnel vs. greenhouse), their uses and benefits, DIY kits vs building your own, helpful tips on setting one up, and additional resources to learn more about these beneficial structures.

What is a High Tunnel?

Also called a hoop-house, these structures look like a greenhouse but are different. 

Although both give you varying degrees of control over growing conditions, the primary difference is a greenhouse is a heated structure, and a high tunnel is not.

Greenhouse Vs. High Tunnel: What's the Difference?

A greenhouse is an enclosed heated structure typically more stout in construction.

It is most commonly used to grow plants in pots and trays rather than in soil. In addition to having heaters, their ventilation and irrigation systems are more advanced.

A high tunnel is a non-heated structure, usually consisting of a series of hoops at least 6 feet in height in the center.

It is covered with polyethylene or polycarbonate plastic, which makes it look like a tunnel or a caterpillar (as it can be called). High tunnels have simple ventilation systems with sides that roll up, end walls or doors that can open and vents. Plants are typically grown in the ground in a high tunnel.

Greenhouses give you the most control over fluctuating environmental conditions, whereas a high tunnel is more passive and gives intermediate control.

You can add many upgrades to a high tunnel, including heating, but this removes it from the high tunnel category.

Knowing your growing goals is an important first step in deciding which option to choose, but for the sake of this article, we will focus on high tunnels.

Uses and Benefits of High Tunnels

There are many benefits to adding a high tunnel to your farm, homestead or hobby farm.

The biggest benefit is that it protects your crop from environmental fluctuations.

In essence, a high tunnel makes a microclimate that creates warmer temperatures and protects the crop from damaging weather like excessive rain, high winds, sleet and snow.

This gives the grower more flexibility and greater control over the growing environment for any given crop. This usually translates to better crop quality and higher yields, both important factors, especially if your growing space is somewhat limited.

How Do High Tunnels Work?

High tunnels capture solar heat when it is cold, but more importantly, they block the desiccating/drying effects of cold winter winds.

If you have colder winters, even if you select cold-hardy crops, winter winds will kill most any vegetable crop or annual plant.

The primary benefit that sold me on a high tunnel was its ability to extend the shoulder seasons.

We live in the mountains of Western North Carolina. We get cold, relatively short winters with snow, but not extreme cold, and not all that much snow. Adding a high tunnel to our property has greatly extended our growing season by allowing us to grow earlier in the spring and later into the fall and early winter.

This past winter (2023 to 2024) was mild, and I was able to keep lettuce growing well into January. We got a hard frost that dipped into the single digits for a week or two, and ultimately took it out. Amazingly, the spinach and kale survived, and we had fresh spinach up to early spring, at which point we started over.

This meant our family had fresh greens all winter with no need to rely on buying lettuce and spinach from the store, which is likely trucked in from thousands of miles away. 

If you live further south, you will only increase your ability to grow longer, potentially all year round, depending on temperatures and sunlight availability.

So, does this mean high tunnels are only good for growing in the colder months? Not at all

In the warmest months, a high tunnel allows you to control how much you irrigate your crops rather than relying on Mother Nature. 

This is a significant benefit for us living in the Southeast, where excess water from afternoon summer thundershowers can quickly ruin crops.

A good example is tomatoes. Many, like field tomatoes, do not do well with too much rainfall.

The symptoms range from spitting tomatoes to yellowing wilted leaves and, worst of all, bland-tasting fruit. When tomatoes are growing in a high tunnel, you have absolute control over irrigation and can give the plants the perfect amount to stay healthy.

This translates to more consistency, higher yields, improved flavor and, at times, better control of pests and diseases.

On the flip side, you will need to constantly monitor your crops to irrigate. 

Mother nature will not help you here, and your farm or homestead will need a regular supply of water.

An additional benefit of growing tomatoes and cucumbers in this structure is that it can easily be rigged with strings and hooks to grow indeterminate varieties for higher yields over a longer period of time. 

One tip I must interject is to plan on using a shade cloth if you live in a hot area

When summer months migrate into the 90s or higher, your high tunnel will easily reach the 110-degree range, which will stress any crop (and any grower!).

I didn’t anticipate this, but I got lucky. 

The first summer, we had our high tunnel. I monitored the inside temperature, and as soon as summer hit, the tunnel was well into the 100s.

At that point, I was scrambling to figure out what to do, and the answer was simple: get shade cloth. 

I called the high tunnel company and luckily, they had the right size in stock. It took a couple of weeks to arrive, but as soon as I put it on, I saw a dramatic improvement in our crops. This is a must if you plan to grow in the summer months so plan accordingly.

There are various shade cloth options options depending on how much shade you want to provide your specific crop. 

Building Your High Tunnel: Kit Versus Complete DIY

One of the first things to decide when considering a high tunnel is if you want a high tunnel kit or to do it completely DIY.

We chose a kit for several reasons.

Many companies offer complete kits that include everything you need in one shipment. This saves loads of time and ensures you have everything you need.

I'm pretty handy but with young kids at home and a homestead and other businesses to run, a kit was an obvious choice for us.

However, you will likely pay extra upfront for the convenience of a kit. Whether or not you save money, in the long run, depends on how much extra time you spend rounding up parts (high tunnels have some unique parts that may not be available at the local hardware store) for your DIY and the soundness of your design structure and materials. 

If you're handy and have the time, you can definitely DIY your own high tunnel.

At the end of this article are links to purchase customized kits, plans to make your own from scratch, and additional tools to make your DIY endeavor much easier.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself in the planning stage to help guide your decision on DIY high tunnel versus kit:

• How much time do you have?
  • You will need to invest time in putting the structure together, whether you try to save money on parts or get a kit with everything included.
• Do you have extra hands to help?
  • High tunnels do not require a high level of skill to build. However, extra help will make the process go much faster

• Do you have a flat area to build your high tunnel?
  • High tunnels need to be on flat land. If the land isn’t flat, you will need to grade the area.
    • We quickly learned that although our yard looked flat, it needed a lot grading!

• How much space do you have?
  • This will determine the size of the structure.
• How much money can you invest in the structure?
  • This may help you decide on buying a kit or doing it all from scratch. 
  • If you're DIYing, look for guides or plans that provide full instructions along with a supplies list so you know what to get and can estimate the cost of your materials.
• Do you have snow in the winter?
  • This helps determine whether you need to look at a load-bearing peak as in Gothic or if you can go with the more classic hoop.

Where We Bought Our High Tunnel Kit

I decided to go with a kit from High Tunnel Vision Hoops for the following reason:

• Their customizability and great service.
• Their YouTube channel has detailed videos with step-by-step instructions.
• When I placed the order, I knew that I would have all I needed in one place so I wouldn’t have to try an account for everything.
• Their designs were tough and approved for National Resources Conservations Service (NRCS) grants.

Speaking of grants, if you have a farm and a shoestring budget, you can apply for an NRCS grant for financial assistance.

I didn’t go this route because we had the budget, and NRCS has some limitations on how you use your tunnel. 

You can find out more information here.

If you decide to go the more frugal DIY route, there are many resources

This is a great option for many start-up farms, especially if you have stockpiled various building materials like lumber, bolts and nuts, steel pipe, PVC pipe and other necessities.

The important thing here is to understand your needs and have a good plan.

For example, one of the strongest materials you can use for the hoops is conduit pipe. 

You may have some saved, or, depending on the thickness/diameter you choose, you can shop around to find the best price from almost any hardware store.

Supplying your own steel pipe does require a pipe bender to bend the pipe into a hoop or gothic shape.

Johnny’s Seed and the Bootstrap Farmer have these benders, along with other supplies, to make the structure you want.

If you do your best to think ahead to anticipate all your material and tool needs you will be in a good position to build a DIY high tunnel with fewer setbacks.

Tips on High Tunnel Construction

Whether you decide to buy a kit that has everything you need or piecemeal your high tunnel for minimum investment, you still have to build the structure.

I'll admit, the prospect of putting one of these together was intimidating. Although I am very handy and enjoy that kind of work, I have no formal construction experience, and I did not want to mess this up!

My best advice is to prepare as well as you can, enlist the help of someone with more experience if possible (but if not, don't let this stop you) and then just jump right in.

Here are some more tips.

Tip 1: Be Prepared

Spend some time researching the build so you are prepared with all the right tools and equipment ahead of time.

This will save you tons of time and prevent any last-minute errands to the hardware store.

You may need a sledgehammer, post level, tall ladder, extra pair of vise grips, etc. Having these things ahead will dramatically shorten your build. 

Tip 2: Educate yourself 

Familiarize yourself with building the high tunnel before you build it so you have a general idea of where to start and what comes next.

The University of New Hampshire Extension has a great set of very detailed videos that walk you through every step of the process here. 

As mentioned previously, I also utilized Tunnel Vision Hoops' YouTube channel.

Tip 3: Properly Grade Your Land

If you have a truly flat area, then you can get on with removing turf and building your structure right away.

If you have sloped land, even slightly sloped, then you need to prepare the site by grading.

I had to rent a small mini-loader to grade the area where our high tunnel was built. Whether you grade your land yourself or hire someone, you must take this into account.

This endeavor was intimidating because I had never worked with heavy equipment, but I decided to go for it to save money.

Turns out, it wasn’t all that bad, and I encourage you to DIY this, but it all depends on how much earth you need to move around. 

Our slope wasn’t too steep, and my high tunnel was only 17 feet wide and 20 feet long. With a rented mini-loader, a laser level and the help of a friend (both of us were inexperienced with working with this equipment), it took about 4 hours to complete this part.

You'll also need to preplan where to dump the excess dirt

We have about a 7% slope, and at first glance, it didn’t seem like we had to move much dirt. Boy, was I wrong.

That slope generated much more dirt than I anticipated.

Fortunately, my son needed a dirt pile (which he still plays in every day), so it all worked out.

Just be sure you plan accordingly.

Tip 4: Properly Position Your High Tunnel

Proper positioning is critical to your high tunnel's performance.

According to Hightunnels.org, if your property is at 40 degrees latitude or more, position your tunnel from East to West. This prevents the ribs of the high tunnel frame from blocking the sun that is lower in the horizon during winter months. This way, you can maximize light gain.

If you are below 40 degrees latitude, orient the tunnel north to south. The sun's angle is much higher in this latitude, and you don’t need to worry about the high tunnel structure blocking the sun. 

Check it out for yourself at High Tunnels.org.

Tip 5: Give Yourself Plenty of Time and Ask for Help

Projects like this generally take longer than you think. This is especially true if you don’t have any construction experience.

Like most, our family has a lot going on. From kids’ activities/schedules to maintaining our other business and all the rest, I had to work it in on the weekends.

It took several months to complete at this pace (and felt like it took forever), but had I enlisted more help it would have gone faster.

In addition to taking so long, the ground under the turf we pulled up after grading was exposed to the summer sun. This resulted in it getting baked almost as hard as a rock.

I did not anticipate this either. Thankfully, with lots of compost, consistent irrigation and cover crops, I am finally getting that soil in better shape.

In hindsight, my advice is to plan the buildout in the cold months, block out a week where you can work on it 4 to 8 hours a day and get help from a friend. 

But however you do it, know you will get it done eventually, and it will be well worth the effort.

You'll especially need help when you are putting in the hoops, building the end structures and covering them with plastic.

Lastly, if you can’t get the structure up in a week or two, be sure to heavily mulch the exposed ground if you remove the turf.

This will help keep moisture in the soil to maintain some semblance of soil health, and you will not have to work as hard as I did to amend and build up the soil to plant into.

Additional Resources for High Tunnels and High Tunnel Supplies

As promised, here is a compilation of resources for learning more about high tunnels, best practices for growing in high tunnels and various places for specialty supplies.

• Hightunnels.org: This site is maintained by researchers, extension specialists, professors, growers, technicians and students collaborating to share experiences and knowledge about high tunnels. A great all-around resource 
• Southern Agriculture Research and Education (SARE): This is a helpful document on high tunnel construction
• University of New Hampshire Extension Building Videos: Step-by-step videos on building a high tunnel
• High Tunnel Supply Companies offering “a la carte” supplies and complete kits with everything you need:
  • Farmer’s Friend
  • Johnny’s Seeds
  • Tunnel Vision Hoops
  • Bootstrap Farmer

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it gives a good place to start.

Final Thoughts

Despite the lengthy construction process and unanticipated bumps in the road, we have been completely happy with our high tunnel, which we use for personal and professional growing.

It also makes a great play space for the kiddos on very cold or wet days and has allowed us the space to grow surplus food to preserve and share with friends and the community.

Plus, it feels amazing to look out at the structure every day, knowing we worked hard to build it.

I hope this advice and information proves helpful to you on your journey to expand your farm, garden and self-sufficiency.

by: Rolando Boye