Video: With so many growing systems out there, which one is best for stabilizing the cost and availability of our local food systems? High tunnels or something else? Meet Shannon Mutschelknaus, Wayward Springs LLC, a mechanical engineer with 20+ years’ experience doing thermal design, research & testing of large electronics mega-systems. (Daktronics, Inc) He also owns/operates a small farm (Wayward Springs LLC) near Brookings, SD where we raise Scottish Highland beef, Jacob sheep, exotic fruit trees, super-hot peppers & two children. Shannon will cover advantages and weaknesses of current systems like high tunnels, deep winter greenhouses, Chinese solar greenhouses and some ongoing research to find better solutions. Shannon is obsessed with growing unique produce for our region and expanding the types of fresh foods that can be grown cost-effectively in our climate!
Published: March 2023
This segment has been funded under a Conservation Collaboration Cooperative Agreement NR226740XXXXC008 between the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and South Dakota Specialty Producers Association (SDSPA), to promote sustainable agriculture practices and environmental stewardship. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA or NRCS.