Tucked away in the beautiful hills of WV and down a windy road native of Hillsboro, WV , first year market gardener and second year Grow Appalachia participant, Clay Condon began building his high tunnel last year in hopes of growing food year round and selling his produce to local schools and local restaurants.  Through a NRCS grant, he finished his high tunnel last fall.

In February of this year, he began building wooden beds inside the high tunnel and finished a pipeline which brought water from a large cistern higher up on the property. He started seedlings of bok choi, spinach, swiss chard, kale, and several varieties of lettuce and head greens.  He also dedicated half of the high tunnel to about three hundred strawberry plants, which he hopes to also bring the the market this year. Most of the plants in his high tunnel are watered by a drip irrigation system he built.  With the ideal conditions a high tunnel offers, it’s been amazing to see how fast the produce grows each week.

With a shorter season here in Pocahontas County, the high tunnel has allowed Clay to begin harvest his greens and selling them to restaurants in Lewisburg, WV since middle of April.  He has sold lettuce mixes, stir fry mixes, and greens to local restaurants who are using it for salads on their menus.