Greenhouse 101 Workshop Prepares Local Growers

Local farmer Joan Olson is sharing some of the necessary tools that best prepare plants in her greenhouse.

“We find it really important to educate the up-and-coming generation of farmers,” Olson said.

That is just what she is doing by sharing her knowledge on the topic of greenhouses.

“How we build our greenhouse, how we manage it and how we get healthy transplants out into our farm,” said Olson, owner of Prairie Drifter Farms.

They’re useful skills for any farmer in the region.

“For us in Minnesota to be able to grow our vegetable farms, we have to usually use green houses to do enough to start and do our own transplants on our farms,” said Lisa Baker, the Sprout Marketing Director.

In attendance tonight was Tom Schreier from Brainerd, who is hoping to soon start his own farm.

“I’m going to slowly be getting into vegetables, fruits and vine crops,” said Schreier.

That’s with a final goal to help feed the community.

“We’re going to see how it goes and start small, and over the course of two to four years, we will be able to feed a lot of people,” Schreier said.

With the same healthy goal is Eleanor Roggenkamp, who owns Burnin’ Daylight Ranch near Wadena.

“I believe in organic gardening, production and just organic lifestyle 100%, so I think the healthier we can be and the more we can help our community, it’s just good,” said Roggenkamp.

That comes with starting with greenhouses and working towards how to build a bigger business.

“There is not a lot of education for small growers on how to scale up,” Baker said.

Until now, that is – to help the local growers and in turn, our local economy.

“Every time that we can help our growers do a little bit better on their farms and their bottom line, those dollars stay in our community,” Baker said. “The more we can buy local, the better our local economies do.”