Yakima County Master Gardeners
Challenge – Updated greenhouse with climate control
Solution – GrowSpan Series 1000 Double Bay Greenhouse with Year-Round Environmental Control
Size – 35′ wide x 96′ long
Application – Growing and storing plants for sale
The Yakima County Master Gardener Program, an extension of Washington State University, is a nonprofit organization with the goal of educating home gardeners. The program is run exclusively by trained volunteers who give back to their community by providing instructional classes and growing assistance.
In addition to educating local growers, the Master Gardeners also grow and sell starts, including annuals, perennials, herbs and vegetables. The sale of their harvests is the program’s only source of funding, and therefore a vital component of their operation. A large portion of their work, including both the cultivation and the sale of their plants, is done within a greenhouse to provide the necessary coverage to operate throughout the year.
Previously, the Master Gardeners were using old, damaged greenhouses that were more of a headache than help. The constant upkeep of the old greenhouses became a distraction, and ultimately took time away from achieving their goal of fostering horticultural interest and knowledge within their community. Eventually, the old structure became too costly to repair, and it was time for an upgrade.
After speaking with a GrowSpan Greenhouse Specialist and taking his recommendations into account, the Master Gardeners decided the Series 1000 Greenhouse was the perfect solution to their problems. The new structure provides the growers with significantly more control over their growing operation and many updates they had not experienced before. Beverly Vonfeld, a Master Gardener, stated, “We now have more room to work. It’s a heated and cooled space, with more light and a more efficient sales space.”
According to Vonfeld, one of the biggest advantages to the new structure was gaining the ability to control the climate within the greenhouse. The Yakima Master Gardeners had previously worked through the heat and frigid cold of the various seasons without additional climate control systems, restricting what they could grow and when they were able to work. Vonfeld said, “By being able to heat and cool our new structure, we can grow more plants, more successfully.”
Vonfeld also noted how impressed everyone is with the overall quality of the GrowSpan Series 1000 Greenhouse, stating, “The structure will last us for many years to come.” Made with a galvanized-steel frame and an arched-roof design to minimize snow, ice and water buildup, the Series 1000 was built with durability in mind.
Vonfeld described her experience with GrowSpan as “terrific.” She said, “Jason, our sales representative, was responsive, helpful and kind to us when we didn’t really know what we were doing.” Every GrowSpan Greenhouse Specialist is eager to provide expert guidance, helping growers obtain the structure best suited to their needs in order to achieve their growing goals.
For more information on how Growers Supply helped Yakima County Master Gardeners, please visit https://extension.wsu.edu/yakima/home-garden/master-gardeners/.
