CAFF offers March 17 high tunnel short course
"We continue to see growing interest in high tunnel production across Arkansas, with more growers finding ways to incorporate these structures into their farms each year." — Taunya Enrst
Feb. 19, 2026
By Mary Hightower
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts
- March 17 short course focuses on high tunnels
- Speakers include CAFF staff, extension experts, farmers
- Registration is available online.
(433 words)
Download file art of high tunnel
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food, or CAFF, and the Cooperative Extension Service, are offering a high tunnel short course on March 17 that covers equipment, climate management, transplant production and more.
The course runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the CAFF farm, 1005 Meade Ave., in Fayetteville. The cost is $25 and includes lunch and the new high tunnel production manual. Registration is available online.
“High tunnels provide multiple advantages, such as extending a growing season, but they also change the growing conditions enough that you need to think about management practices differently than field production,” said Heather Friedrich, Center for Arkansas Farms and Food program manager. “This course is designed for specialty crop growers and operators of small farms interested in exploring use of high tunnels in their operation.”
Taunya Ernst, who leads high tunnel outreach efforts for the extension service and is one of the short course instructors, said that interest in high tunnels is on the rise.
"We continue to see growing interest in high tunnel production across Arkansas, with more growers finding ways to incorporate these structures into their farms each year,” she said. “Because high tunnel designs are adaptable, they can be scaled to fit operations of nearly any size. From backyard growers to large commercial operations—and everything in between—high tunnels can provide production benefits for many specialty vegetable and fruiting crops.
“Learning how to successfully manage these structures can seem daunting, but this conference will provide practical information and real-world examples to help growers successfully incorporate high tunnels into their farms,” Ernst said.
In addition to Ernst, the short course will feature speakers from CAFF, the extension service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and local farms, including: Josh Fortenberry, NRCS; Jeremy Baranauskas, Prairie Wood Farm; Riley Silva, Joe Hannan and Heather Friedrich of CAFF; and Matt Bertucci, assistant professor of sustainable fruit and vegetable production for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
They will cover:
- High tunnel essentials
- Climate management
- Transplant production and tools
- Environmental Quality Incentives Program, EQIP, available through the NRCS
- Soil health, irrigation and pest management
- Integrating tunnels into your farm business
Find additional information about this course and other offerings from CAFF online.
The Cooperative Extension Service is the outreach arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
CAFF supports local food entrepreneurs and increases small farm viability through experiential learning. Explore courses at LearnToFarm.org and follow on Instagram @caff_ar_farms. CAFF is part of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit aaes.uada.edu. Follow the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station on LinkedIn and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media contact:
Nick Kordsmeier
nkordsme@uada.edu