Saturday, February 9, 9am-1pm 2008
Farmer Field School Passive Solar Greenhouse Design Agricultural Conference Center, Rooms A+B Energy efficient passive solar greenhouses are designed to harness the sun’s energy for both light and heat and can reduce growers’ greenhouse heating costs by at least 95%. This presentation will demonstrate the results of seven years of passive solar greenhouse research in Watauga County using three main designs. In this workshop, we will explore basic passive solar design requirements, and then discuss a low(er) cost alternative designs (A-frame, hybrid hoop design) and compare this with a modified standard hoophouse. After presentations and discussion, there will be field visits to the greenhouses at the ASU Teaching and Research Farm and Maverick Farms in Valle Crucis. This field school is sponsored by the ASU Goodnight Family Sustainable Development Program, Cooperative Extension and the High Country Chapter of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. Presenters are Terry Carroll & Christof den Biggelaar of Appalachian State University. The school is free for CFSA members and students, and $5 for all others. For more information, contact Dr. Christof den Biggelaar (office: 828 262 7268 or _denbiggelaa@appstate.edu_) or Richard Boylan (Ashe: (336)846-5850(voice) Watauga: (828)264-3061(voice), _richard_boylan@ncsu.edu_)