A Boone County couple is the first in their area to utilize a high tunnel for vegetable
production and reap the many rewards it brings
Tabby Kuckuck
Johnny and Freeda Ball own 35 acres of land in Danville, West Virginia where they grow hay
and a variety of vegetables on what was once a family tobacco farm. Two years ago the Balls had a
30x97 foot high tunnel built on their property. Their high tunnel is the first and only one they know
of in Boone County, and since adding it to the farm, they have been able to provide fresh vegetables
that had not always been available to their community members.
The Balls grow three types of beans, as well as squash, tomatoes, onions, asparagus, cabbage,
lettuce, peppers, broccoli and strawberries in their high tunnel, and either sell their produce at local
markets or give the food away to friends and neighbors.
“Locals put in their orders and come to the house to pick them up,” said Johnny. “Sometimes
people just pull into the driveway and ask to buy beans. It’s kind of intriguing because there aren’t
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