Grower cuts energy costs with thermal-storage greenhouse

Steven Schwen, owner of Earthen Path Organic Farm in Lake City, Minn., has built a thermal-storage greenhouse that allows him to extend his growing season while reducing energy costs. Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Farmer-Rancher Grants program provided assistance for Schwen in the beginning phases of the project.
With his greenhouse, Schwen has been able to start warm-season vegetable production (tomatoes, cucumbers, basil and peppers), earlier and continued production into the fall and even the winter months when he grows cold-tolerant crops (salad mix, cilantro, scallions and carrots). Season extension is a common practice with high tunnels, but Schwen is using thermal banking to significantly reduce his greenhouse energy costs for cold-season production. Schwen said the greenhouse has moved him closer to his ultimate goals of energy independence and self-sufficiency.