By Doug Rich

Bryan Boeckmann says he has "caught a lot of heck" from his buddies at the Jefferson City, Mo., fire department because of his part time job. When he is not busy working full-time as a fireman, Boeckmann grows cut flowers for local florists.

The combination of these two jobs created a problem for Boeckmann when he decided to put up a high tunnel or hoop house for growing flowers. He works a 24-hour shift and during that time the temperature in the high tunnel green house can vary dramatically. "I can leave in the morning and it is 20 degrees outside, but by the time the sun comes out the temperature in the hoop house can be over 80 degrees," he says. Boeckmann needed a way to regulate the temperature in the hoop house while he was working a 24-hour shift.

Four years ago Boeckmann began growing vegetables which he sold in area farmers markets. One day he was short on vegetables so he raided the flower bed at his home and took those to the farmers markets. "It seemed like they sold easier and better than the vegetables," he says. "Nobody brought one back and said it did not taste good either." That experience changed his focus from vegetable production to cut flowers.

It was difficult to get to farmers markets on a regular basis with his rotating schedule so he started selling cut flowers to local florists in Jefferson City. "The problem was they were buying from other local growers and we always had the same flowers at the same time," says Bryan Boeckmann. Planting outside he had to wait to plant until the last frost which was usually around the third week of April. By the time he was able to get flowers planted it was June or July before he had anything big enough to sell. It became clear that he needed a cold frame so he could start his flowers earlier in the spring and go later in the fall.

In April 2004 Boeckmann completed the construction of a 26-foot by 96-foot high tunnel greenhouse. Also called a hoop house, the high tunnel structure is a Quonset-shaped frame covered by plastic sheeting. According to the University of Missouri these passive solar structures can be built for about one-fifth the cost of conventional greenhouses. As Boeckmann found out, temperatures can get very high in these structures on a sunny day and ventilation is needed to lower the temperature. Bryan Boeckmann received a $3,000 grant from the Missouri Department of Agriculture which he used to fund the purchase and construction of the high tunnel structure.

Bryan Boeckmann, who grew up on a poultry farm and has a college degree in agriculture, knew that temperature controlled side curtains had been used in poultry and pork production for many years. He was familiar with the concept and with the help of Jim Quinn, Extension researcher at the University of Missouri and Henry Rentz with Missouri Valley Renewable Energy in Hermann, Mo., he was able to combine his high tunnel structure with solar-powered side curtains.

Missouri Valley Renewable Energy provided the components for the solar system including two 51 watt solar panels, eight batteries for energy storage, an inverter, and a shed to house the equipment.

"It is simple to operate," says Boeckmann. "Once it is set up all I have to do is set the thermostat." The thermostat senses the temperature inside the greenhouse and at a pre-set point it triggers a mechanism that very slowly raises or lowers the curtains. "The curtain is raised slowly which allows the temperature in the building a chance to adjust." It takes 15 minutes to raise or lower it completely but Boeckmann says it can be raised faster manually if needed.

The key to a successful early crop this season was the solar-powered side curtains he added to his high tunnel structure. The high tunnel greenhouse allows Boeckmann to plant perennials in the fall. "This gives them a chance to get established before they start producing in the spring," he says.

"I am still on the learning curve on what varieties to grow and what stage to cut them," says Boeckmann. This year, his first full season with the hoop house, he had flowers ready for the Easter market and by the middle of May he had sold most of his early season crop. His early crop this year included Lark Spur, Delphinium, Fox Glove, Sweet William, and Tulips. There are some things he will do differently next time around, however. Next year he will plant a better variety of Lark Spur, plant a mix of tulips for more different colors, and use more netting to keep the stems from bending over before he can market the flowers.

Although the solar unit has worked extremely well, Jim Quinn says it would be easier to run the curtain on existing electricity. "It does not require much power," he says. But in situations where the hoop house is located in a remote area where there is no electricity or where the electricity is too expensive solar power is the answer. This was the case for Boeckmann in his decision to use solar power. His hoop house is located in an area in Westphalia, Mo., that is zoned commercial. The up-front charge for hooking up to the available power source was $1,500 and there was a minimum monthly charge of $200. "I don't need that much electricity," says Boeckmann. "That is what started me thinking about solar power."

The solar unit has been very efficient and dependable. The system has run very well even during extended periods of cloudy weather. "We have gone eight to 10 days without sunshine and still had battery power," he says. "I have yet to run it out of power." Boeckmann has enough power to run a small water pump for irrigation in addition to running his solar-powered curtain.

"If a person is serious about growing cut flowers, the cold frame is the only way to go," Boeckmann says. "I am not doing this full-time, but there is a lot of potential here." Boeckamnn says he likes his other job too much to quit the fire department, even if he does catch some heck for growing flowers.

Doug Rich can be reached by phone at 785-749-5304 or by e-mail at Richhpj@aol.com.

Date: 7/21/05