Innovative irrigation water conservation and supplemental solar heating demonstration for small farm season extension greenhouse production

Coveyou Farms LLC will design, install, demonstrate and evaluate the integration of a novel rainwater conservation irrigation reservoir system with an on farm renewable Energy system to store thermal solar Energy produced during the day in the reservoir for use in greenhouse supplemental heating during the night hours using root zone heating. The novel reservoir application will provide access to irrigation water in late winter as well as double as a large thermal mass to store the solar heat Energy. This project will also demonstrate that the use of this solar heated water in the reservoir can be applied to growing crops without fossil fuel water heaters and with improved irrigation management using new bottom watering matting. All of these technologies are ideally focused for small farms growing season extending crops. Design, operational and performance data will be collected, documented and shared to aid other farmers using season extending structures across Michigan, the Midwest and Northeast.