Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** organic high tunnel (HT) production…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** organic high tunnel (HT) production is expanding rapidly due to season extension benefits, but intense cultivation strategies may pose challenges for sustainability that could offset economic gains. Previous orei-supported research showed challenges to be mitigated through soil-enhancing practice of cover cropping, but on-farm evaluation of HT rotational strategies is sorely lacking. Our long-term goal, based on extensive grower feedback, is to increase cover crop adoption to improve HT resilience. We will accomplish this by conducting extensive on-farm and replicated experimentation across northern-climate research sites (upper midwest and new england), by training students and farmers, and by deepening relationships with farmers excited about using season extension. Our supporting objectives include to 1) improve our understanding of agronomic trade-offs associated with legume cover crop integration across working organic farms; 2) create educational case studies to support decisionmaking about cover crops, with an emphasis on economic outcomes; and 3) meet farmer demand for education and networking opportunities for HT producers in cold regions. Outcomes include research data from on-farm trials and on the impacts of long-term manure and cover crop inputs on soils; four farm case studies emphasizing cover crop use, costs, and benefits; a beginning organic high tunnel vegetable production course for rural minnesota growers; and conference workshops and field days. If successful, our project will have far-reaching implications for how farmers manage their HTS for optimizing system resilience and long-term sustainability.