Enterprise budget for bench-top production of salad greens

Have you wondered if you could grow salad greens in the fall, winter and spring like I did? Is it possible or profitable? 

Using the enterprise budget we've put together you can start to figure it out! An enterprise budget estimates the profitability of an agricultural enterprise. They document all the steps, resources, management practices and technologies used to grow a crop. This enterprise budget is built using all the data collected from the past few years of salad green production. It will help determine if you have all the resources needed to grow salad greens, the growing period of greens as the seasons change, and potential yields. It's important to note that this is an educational tool to be used for planning. We've given users the ability to customize many aspects of the budget to reflect their own growing spaces. 

This budget is built using Microsoft Excel. When opening the file make sure to 'enable macros.' You can download the enterprise budget here.

What's been happening behind the scenes

A fair amount has happened since I last posted something (in December!):

1) I defended, finished my thesis and graduated.

That's what seven copies of my thesis looks like.  It looks a lot like donuts, but much heavier.

2) I went on a real vacation and visited a farm where papaya volunteers dot the fields of salad greens.

3) I moved to a new state (New York).

What's in the future for wintergreens?

Now that my thesis is (finally!) complete, I'm focusing on research reports and cooperative extension publications.  You can see a compiled list in the new "research reports" tab at the top of the page.  We've got a few publications that will be ready soon. 

I've also got a new project to work on that encompasses the same ideas as wintergreens: local, wintertime salad production, but in a different direction than the projects of the last two years.  More on that in the next few weeks!

"Basics for winter, bench-top salad green production" part two on Floricast

Part two of Basics for winter, bench-top salad green production is now up on Greenhouse Grower as an episode of FloriCAST.  You can see it here!

"Basics for winter, bench-top salad green production" on Floricast

In late July I put together a slideshow on basics of winter salad green production on bench-tops for the video podcast Floricast. Last week it came out and you can see it here! If you've been following along this blog you may recognize some of the information and pictures. I believe it's the first time we've started to take all the experience and data from the past year and begin making it into more public-ready formats.

Thesis defense date set (the end is in sight)

It has been quite around here recently hasn't it?  With my thesis defense just one month away I've been working on the not-so-fun parts to research - writing.  The goal is to have useful growing information ready for use ready about the same time since most of it will be part of the thesis anyways.  So, the end is in sight and quickly approaching!  

Field day preparations

I've spent the last few days preparing for the field day, which is only five days away!  The posters are made, and all that's left is cleaning up the greenhouses.  Happily, they survived the heavy, wet snowstorm on Tuesday.

Now that daylight lasts all the way till 7pm greens are growing quickly.  Sometimes as much as a centimeter a day!

Winter Greens Field Day!

Are you interested in growing salad greens during the winter? 

Have you ever wanted to see what I'm doing? 

Do you have a burning desire to see tokyo bekana up close?

Now is your chance!

The Winter Greens Field Day will be held on 
Tuesday, March 26 from 3-5pm at Woodman Farm.  

Everyone is invited to hear about my salad greens research trials and share what you're doing.  

Click here for the offcial announcement and more details. 
We ask that people RSVP so we know how many to expect.

Have questions?  Let me know!

Wintergreens has a new look!

In the past few days I've been changing the way the wintergreens blog looks.  I took a screen shot below for those of you who get updates in your email.  Let me know what you think, or if there is something missing you would like to see!

Thanks ~ Claire

Today in the greenhouse

There are lots of greens growing in the greenhouses right now.  I spend more and more time measuring growth rate.  Soon, I'll put all the data together, but keep putting it off since I'm so busy.  Here you can see outrageous lettuce in the foreground, vitamin greens on the side and bulls blood beets in the background.  Soon some of these will be ready to harvest!

Photo Friday

Seedlings of bulls blood beet in the foreground, and tokyo bekana in the background.

What greenhouse one looks like.  Flats of spinach, lettuce and mizuna for the growth rate project in the foreground, and newly seeded flats for the variety trials in the background.

OFA short course

In a few days I'll be in Columbus, OH for the OFA Short Course.  (OFA is the Association of Horticulture Professionals.  I'm not sure how you get the letters from the name.)  I'll be giving a very short presentation of the research I'm doing.  Unlike the last time I went to an event, this time I will bring my camera.

I found the picture of mizuna seedlings from January while making a handout for my talk.  Aren't they cute!  They make me look forwards to working in the greenhouse this coming winter.

The first lady knows what low tunnels are!

"I couldn't image how any of our vegetables would survive in temperatures that drop below freezing.  I had heard that some farmers use a plastic covering to extend the growing season into the winter.  But while I was intrigued by the prospect of keeping the garden alive, and I was open to experimenting, I was skeptical that a sheet of plastic would keep the plants warm through the D.C. winter. 

In spite of my doubts, we went ahead and built what are called low tunnels, or hoop houses, simple metal frames that stand about two feet off the ground and are covered by a clear plastic tarp.  To my amazement and delight, under those simple structures, several of out crops continued to flourish, even in very cold weather - and were unusually sweet.  I later learned that since sugars don't freeze, the plants produce a lot of sugars to protect themselves from the cold." 

Michelle Obama in American Grown

UNH greenhouse open house

Why be excited about this event - besides that it is about plants which are always worth getting excited about?  Because I am going to have a poster and some plants from the germination trials experiments!  I printed the poster out today and it's all shiny and official looking.  You can see it below.  Many of the pictures should look familier if you've been following me.  To actually be able to read the words you'll just have to come to the open house on Friday and Saturday!

plant profile: spinach

Spinach is my favorite green.  


It is not fast growing like some of the brassicas.  Nor does it have sexy colored viens like swiss chard or red russian kale.  Harvesting spinach can be a true labor of love when each leaf has to be cut individually.  Despite all of this, spinach is great.  No, it's beyond great - it is one really cool plant.  Here's why:

~ Spinach is a diecious crop meaning there are male and female plants.  In the absence of any male pollen producing plants female flowers can ‘revert’ to become pollen-producing flowers, enabling continuation of the sexual reproduction cycle.  

~ Spinach is one of the hardiest leaf crops. It grows best in sandy, porous soil but can adapt to a wide range of soils.  Spinach germinates best in cool soil and can germinate at temperatures as low as 35 degrees Fahrenheit.  

~ Spinach can grow at very low temperatures.  Other leafy crops can tolerate the cold but will not grow.  Spinach grown in the cold has higher concentrations of nutrients like vitamin C as well as higher sugar levels.

the wintergreens project

This project is looking at the practicality of growing lettuces, asian greens and other lovely salad greens in UNH greenhouses during the next two winter seasons.


Producing high yields of cool-loving crops would be beneficial for everyone.  Consumer demand for local produce is increasing, especially in the winter.  Most farmers are unable to keep up with the winter demand and can be hesitant to experiment during the cold months when heating is expensive.   


Of course you can grow plants in greenhouses you say- that is the point of a greenhouse.  What we are going to be looking at is how to use greenhouses without adding much additional heat, no additional light and using materials commonly used on a farm.  


On this blog we will be tracking our trials and successes through the winter and spring.