many high tunnels around here and people will come down the road and lay the brakes to it so they
can look.”
Initially the Balls were unsure about whether they wanted to participate in the Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to build their
high tunnel, but after discussing all of their options with an agent who visited their house, they
changed their minds.
“I thought it was going to be expensive,” Johnny said. “But finally we agreed to one and the next
thing I knew we were signing papers and the guys came to build it. They got it up in less than two
days, and the day after it was up I was plowing and planting inside.”
The Balls already had a well on their property, so running water into their high tunnel’s irrigation
system was not a big job. Their
irrigation system runs four times
a day for 15 minutes at a time and
provides the plants with a mixture
of water and fertilizer.
They also have an electric fence
set up around the perimeter of the
high tunnel, as well as some plastic
fencing to keep deer and other pests
out of the high tunnel when the
sides are rolled up during the day to
keep the plants cool and circulate
air. Johnny sets Japanese beetle
traps along the outside of the high
tunnel so he does not have to spray
the plants inside.
“I have never sprayed anything
in the high tunnel,” he said. “The
Japanese beetle traps outside take
care of it pretty well.”
Additionally, Johnny introduced
bumble bees into the high tunnel
to pollinate his squash, cucumbers,
strawberries and tomatoes.
“I tried honey bees first, but they
all flew up to the top of the tunnel
and died; bumble bees stay down
with the plants and have a good life
span,” said Johnny.
West Virginia Farm Bureau News 11