High Tunnel at Hays Adds to Science Curriculum

Visitors in the area of 761 Hays Road may have observed a new structure being erected behind St. Paul Mission Grade School. Anyone guessing it’s a greenhouse would only be slightly wrong since it’s a high tunnel, also known as a hoop house.

While often confused for a traditional greenhouse, high tunnels are actually a relatively new development in the world of protected farming and gardening. Unlike their larger, more permanent cousins, high tunnels are designed to be lighter, more mobile, more flexible, and more versatile.

Because it does not require a traditional foundation, a high tunnel ca...