Community gathers in support of students

Community members gathered last month in Corvallis to celebrate 75 years of supporting the next generation, and donated over $100,000 for continued education. 

Zonta International is a foundation devoted to empowering women and improving their lives through service and advocacy. They work closely with the United Nations to influence laws impacting women worldwide, and work to advance the political, economic, and educational status of women locally and abroad. 

The Corvallis chapter had its 75th anniversary on Friday, Nov. 13. Hundreds in the community came to their celebration featuring a silent and live auction. The evening also included opportunity for straight donations from attendees to a scholarship fund for OSU and LBCC students. This year, donations totaled $35,000.

Sally Widenmann, LBCC dean of instruction and Zonta member, attended the fundraiser for the third year. She sat with other LBCC faculty including Scott Rolen, director of Human Resources, and Dave Henderson, vice president of finance and operations. 

“What I noticed about this particular night was there was an energy level higher than I’d seen before,” said Widenmann. “The devotion was obvious with the straight donations.”

Widenmann joined Zonta a year ago and sits on a committee that allocates grants to nonprofit organizations in the mid-valley that align with Zonta’s mission. Her involvement with the organization was inspired by LBCC’s president, Greg Hamann. 

“Greg has always encouraged us to make a contribution to our local community, to try and find something you are passionate about,” she said. “It feels nice to know you have a role in making a positive impact in the community.”

Widenmann believes the values of LBCC and Zonta align perfectly. 

“When a student’s education advances we all benefit from that. It’s a mutually rich endeavor,” she said. “That’s what I love about education.”

Pete Bober is this year’s Scholarship Committee Chair for Zonta, and is a former director at LBCC. He too became a member after discovering the work Zonta does. 

“I liked the values of the organization and what they were doing; increasing the status of women,” he said. 

Many of the Zontians have successful careers with the means and ambition to make a difference in their community, apparent by the generosity at the fundraiser.

This school year, 13 scholarships were awarded, three of which went to LBCC students. Scholarships are typically $3,000 and are awarded to the most qualified students, with no preference given to which school they attend. 

“Good grades help and in some categories the applicant must be in a specific type of program; generally STEM or a career path that will help to advance the status of women,” Bober said. 

The 2016 scholarship selection will be in the spring. To apply, visit www.zonta.org within the first week of the term to find those you qualify for. Each scholarship will have a contact person listed in the application packet to refer for questions.

France: From the inside out

Mackenzie Schonback is a graduate of Philomath High School and former Frolic and Rodeo Queen. She has resided in La Guade, a village fifteen minutes from Nice, France for the past eight years. She is receiving her bachelor’s from Goddard College in a mix of disciplines including sociology and international development, with an emphasis in conflict resolution. She will continue to achieve her master’s in peace building and psychology.

Q. Prior to this event, what has your experience in France been like (the people, the culture, the vibe)? 

A. It is a place that absolutely defies stereotypes and lives up to them at the same time. The ‘work to live’ mentality that the French are known for is very accurate. If you have a steady job where you earn enough to just not struggle and can pay for that month long vacation everyone takes in August, that is enough here. New vehicles are not really considered a status symbol and large houses and fancy interiors are not a priority. Ostentation and intense ambition are considered crude and uncouth. Four hour Sunday lunches in the garden with all the extended family and friends are the norm, with way too many bottles of local wine, homegrown veggies, mushrooms from the forest, and cheese from the neighbor’s goats. 

Q. What is your biggest concern about life in France after this tragedy? 

A. France is going to be fine. French culture is so resilient and the response here has been, not surprisingly, incredible. They are fighting terrorism with love, champagne, macaroons, and truffles. War and loss are nothing new to France and they are a strong people. WWII happened right here and it is still very much in the public consciousness. My biggest fear is this leading to a full-blown war. My next biggest fear is that the far right will gain ground and senseless bigotry will take the place of acceptance and unity. There is a very large Arabic and Muslim population in France and the vast majority are kind and wonderful people who are loudly denouncing these atrocious acts. Luckily, this attack has brought out the best in a lot of people, and while there will always be a fearful minority of hateful people, I think there is a chance this will bring all the various cultures and backgrounds of people in France together even more.

Q. What are your concerns regarding the reaction of some Americans with the anti-refugee stance stemming from these events? 

A. This has been really, really hard to watch from abroad. In Europe, where all of this is actually happening and where people are being actually impacted, you have so many citizens donating to refugee aid organizations, taking refugee families into their homes as they transition, giving away food and clothing and hugs. In America, where this isn’t happening, I am seeing painful xenophobia spreading like fire. America is a beautifully diverse country, but that diversity tends to exist mostly in urban areas. This means that by no fault of their own, residents of many towns and smaller cities in America have much less contact with people of differing backgrounds, colors and faiths. Fear is what happens in the darkness of the unknown. This isn’t a judgment; we fear what we don’t understand as a survival instinct. But it is important not to lose your heart in fear, which I am seeing a lot of good people doing right now.

Q. From American news that you have seen there, are we talking about the climate in the country as it really is, or do you see misrepresentation or sensationalism? 

A. Don’t get me started. It is always surreal to watch the American news report on something going on around me abroad. It is usually grossly sensationalized and often just factually incorrect. After the tragic events last January at Charlie Hebdo in Paris, the French government actually tried to sue Fox News after they got it so wrong. It makes me very sad that the good people back home are subjected to the kind of low quality tabloid style infotainment that passes for the news on television these days, and it makes me understand better the fear people have of refugees as they are so misinformed. I urge people to really dig deeper and not to get sucked into fear-mongering that seems to be the raison d’etre of the American news. Just because they say it on the news does not make it true.

Q. As someone born in America and living abroad, does an event like this change your perception of the world?

A. If it did anything, it made me a lot more aware of how awful it must be for the people who live in warzones. I found myself feeling selfish and embarrassed. It felt embarrassing because this didn't actually affect me or anyone I personally know. But it was so close to home. It happened in a place I wasn't, but in a place I have been many times, a place I love. But I am not personally suffering. Many other people are suffering (or no longer able to suffer, considering the lives taken). Accepting that I am scared feels a little like being the one crying the most hysterically at a funeral when I am the one that was the least close to the person who has passed. This isn't about me. But mostly, it feels selfish because countless innocent, amazing, wonderful people live every day of their life in places where this sort of terror is a very real threat, like Beirut and Syria, and get very little Western consideration. They go to the store, they take their children to school, they work, they play, they love. Dads who throw themselves on suicide bombers, saving hundreds, barely make the news. So many good people live with the continuous fear of very possible terrorist attacks—attacks that are never shown the same kind of press or support that Paris has so deservedly received. So, yeah, it has changed my perspective. I feel like my version of ‘caring for those around me’ has grown a lot larger. My thoughts are with the brave civilians and courageous soldiers caught up in this madness. I hope for peace through understanding and education every single day.

France: A culture too strong to be broken

Photo courtesy Mackenzie Schonback

Friday, Nov. 13, brought a new meaning to the fear underlying the phrase “Friday the thirteenth.” The date 11/13 will forever be remembered in French history to the likes of 9/11 in American history. 

A week has past since the tragedy in Paris claimed the lives of 130 people. Most had set out on the town for a night of food, drink, and music. In a stadium close to the attacks, thousands of fans gathered in celebration of Europe’s most beloved sport, a soccer match between France and Germany. 

As events unfolded that evening, the world was reminded that in a course of minutes everything can change.

Mackenzie Schonback is a Philomath High School graduate (maiden name Daggett), and was 1999’s Frolic and Rodeo Queen. She shares deep roots with both the Northwest and France. She has been living abroad for 15 years, and resides south of Paris in a village called La Guade, just outside of Nice. 

She has spent much time in Paris over the last decade, and the events of 11/13 have shaken her, as they have so many others. 

“I have never ever experienced this physical fear before—not after 9/11 or 7/7 in Paris last January. Those events were awful and tragic and devastating, but it didn't make me fear for my personal safety. This time was different,” she said.

She was in London that day. She had just returned to her hotel and turned on the television. It was then that the terror felt by so many Americans a decade ago came to the forefront of her mind as real-time footage of raw fear plagued Paris on the screen. 

“We caught it just as the attacks started and were glued to the television until the wee hours of the morning. It was awful. It brought back so many memories of watching the attacks on 9/11 from our living room in Oregon,” she said.

On the eve of her return to France, she was unsure of what to expect when she returned home. The airport in London she was to fly out of was closed due to a suspicious person, ISIS had just claimed the attack on Paris, and their president had just announced the borders closed.

“For the first time in my life, I felt personally in fear of terrorism,” she said. “I was not comfortable being in the airports or being on the very solemn and quiet plane to France. I was very happy to get home and out of public areas.”

A few days later the Nice airport in which she landed was shut down due to a suspicious car. In her region, people’s houses and apartments were being raided. 

“They apprehended a suspect who they think is quite a major ISIS operative just outside an area where we often go to dinner,” she said.

However, upon her return to France, she rejoiced to find the French refusing to live in fear of extremists that tried to break them. Businesses were open, heads were held high and people were coming together stronger than before, much like Americans in the wake of 9/11.

“Life carried on. The energy was somber and definitely a bit quieter, but this is a country of proud, dignified people,” she said. “I definitely got the sense that nobody wanted to give the terrorists the satisfaction of changing their life.”

Although her experience has certainly differed from those eight hours away in Paris, Schonback is convinced that some good will come from this bad situation. 

“Even in Paris, even in the vicinity of the attacks, people are going out and showing that you don’t mess with French culture, which is really what those attacks targeted. In that aim, the terrorists absolutely failed,” she said. 

On Nov. 18, the strength of the culture was defined when a blindfolded Muslim man stood in a public square in Paris and asked people to hug him. The warmth he received by Parisians that embraced him could be expected from a culture that is known for its embrace of love and romance.

“What is truly valued here is time: time with family, time to enjoy life, time to savour food, wine and love,” Schonback said. “There has been a conscious push by the citizens to live life to the max and it is a beautiful thing to watch.”

While many in America are questioning continued acceptance of refugees, in France Schonback sees a very different reaction. 

In Europe, where all of this is actually happening and where people are being actually impacted, you have so many citizens donating to refugee aid organizations, taking refugee families into their homes as they transition, giving away food and clothing and hugs,” she said. 

As France sits on the world stage, the world watches America’s oldest ally rebuild a culture too strong to be broken.

RIP National Geographic

As a child I remember our collection of National Geographic magazines. We kept the magazine with the iconic yellow border in a box in a closet after we had enjoyed them; they were too beautiful to throw away my parents said. When the new issue arrived, I would flip through its pages and open them to a world I had never seen. The pages were a passport to corners of the world rarely seen, a glimpse into the lives of people barely known, a expedition into the wildness of the animal kingdom, and an exploration into the secrets of Mother Nature. Those pages opened my eyes to my future; I knew I wanted to investigate the world some day. National Geographic made an impact on my life, and it changed how I see the world. It sparked a fire in my desire to travel, to learn, and to embrace culture near and far. When I got an opportunity to go on what my mom called “an adventure of a lifetime,” she told me to pick any place I wanted to go. I had no hesitation when I blurted out “the Serengeti!” When she asked why I picked it I told her I wanted to go on a safari and see the exotic creatures that National Geographic had shown me over the years. That trip to Tanzania remains one of the most prolific experiences I have ever had, and I have National Geographic (and my mom) to thank for it. This September, the legacy that is National Geographic came to an end after 127 fabulous years. Media mogul Rupert Murdoch collected the non-profit, research-based publication and added it to his empire of profit-based, corporate news outlets. Murdoch killed National Geographic as we know it, and most likely, the magazine will transform its content into a more vague, less transparent, and more biased journalistic specimen. In the near future, I suspect the magazine will fall far from the tree in which it was perfectly ripened and start to rot under the harsh environment of corporate greed.

My immediate concern when hearing of the buyout was that of many others; Murdoch has been vocal about his disbelief in global warming. He has a documented history of comments regarding the conversation of climate change, and in a 2013 interview with Sky News Murdoch offered his solution to combating it by saying, “If the sea level rises six inches, that's a big deal ... we can't mitigate that, we can't stop it. We've just got to stop building vast houses on seashores and go back a little bit (Nuccitelli).” In February he poked fun at the topic on Twitter and tweeted, “Just flying over N Atlantic 300 miles of ice. Global warming!” Scientists have continued to debate whether the melting of polar ice is inevitable, but none-the-less, the fact that ice is present doesn’t mean there is not climate-induced melting. To make such a statement is to mock the very science that tries to explain natural phenomena. The point of whether global warming exists is not my main concern, my concern is having a man that blatantly interjects his bias in ignorant fashion in control of a publication that has supported exploration into science’s truths for decades past. It was no surprise that November’s issue of National Geographic had a picture of Earth within its yellow border with the phrase “Cool It” written across it. In the first full month after Murdoch’s acquisition it should only be so fitting for the publication to jump right into the discussion of global warming. Coincidence? I think not.

National Geographic is now going through what I call “Foxification,” joining Murdoch’s Fox empire, New-Corp, one of the six largest media companies in the world. National Geographic has thus begun growing its new conservative roots. Some may suggest that Murdoch’s 73% control of the company won’t be affected by his personal beliefs, but history would suggest otherwise. In 2007, News-Corp purchased another American news outlet, the Wall Street Journal. At the time of the acquisition, people were divided on whether his deep pockets would hurt or help the publication revered among its readers as a distinguished example of watchdog journalism. Sarah Ellison, a former reporter for the Wall Street Journal, published a book called War at the Wall Street Journal: Inside the Struggle to Control an American Business Empire. The book reveals her observation of the takeover which resulted in her leaving with a bad taste in her mouth. Not only did Murdoch bring in his own management and editors, as he is doing with National Geographic, but the focus of the publication also changed. According to Ellison, gripping headlines, big photographs and shorter stories was the new format for the once wordy paper with in-depth coverage and cutting-edge feature stories (Folkenflik). In Ellison’s opinion, the paper now has more politics and international news and less of the flavor of the past; coverage of corporations on Wall Street (Folkenflik). This should be no surprise, as Wall Street is the pulse of big business in America and the lifeline of many Forbes mega-hitters. Murdoch finds himself with a cozy seat on such a list in 2015 as #35 on Forbes’ most power people with a networth of $12.6 billion. He has a vested interest in protecting shadowy secrets of Wall Street in which the Journal was once in place to expose. Murdoch has the buying power to craft his own reality and he is doing just that. According to Ellison, he once joked to a group of executives that, “I’d love to buy The New York Times one day. And the next day shut it down as a public service (Grove).” I consider this a glimpse into his demeanor, and all jokes set aside, they stem from some truth. I can’t help but wonder if his move in the direction of National Geographic holds any of the same stretch of the truth.

As Foxification begins, National Geographic’s structure has already started to change under the News-Corp umbrella. On November 3, it was reported that the magazine was hit with the largest layoffs in the company’s history when 180 people were let go (Farhi). The downsizing came in the wake of the company repositioning itself to get closer to a profit margin acceptable to Murdoch and family. Perhaps this is one of the first moves that solidifies corporate take over, shaving off the fat to fill pocket books and undoubtedly unfill pages. Of the reported layoffs that touched almost all departments, the fact-checking department was hit with multiple losses (Farhi). I fear the needs of new ownership will trump the needs of readers that National Geographic has nurtured for so many years. I find it unsettling that the very department that dedicates its efforts to present the best known truths to readers was not important enough to leave intact. Gary Knell, the society’s chief executive, released a memo after the layoffs stating, “Looking ahead, I am confident National Geographic’s mission will be fulfilled in powerful, new and impactful ways, as we continue to change the world through science, exploration, education and storytelling (jimromenesko.com).” Sure, it might continue storytelling, but we can almost guarantee it will be done with less facts, more skepticism, and more appeal to who its new target audience will be. National Geographic, after all, is the new sibling to Fox News, who has a history of calling climate change a “superstition,” a “scam,” and a “hoax” (HuffingtonPost.com). They have also accused NASA of “fudging numbers” on climate change, attributing it to the work of “corrupt” scientists (HuffingtonPost.com). This kind of reporting sets the uninformed, untrained public against some of the nation’s brightest, educated minds and blurs the lines of entertainment and science. I for one don’t want to see the pages of National Geographic take such a stance that belittles the findings of science. What’s even scarier to consider is a new poll by Saint Leo University in Florida that found more U.S. adults believe Fox News as a reliable source of climate change over President Obama (Saint Leo University). It’s an interesting concept to consider how much merit is placed on news outlets run by executives with the first priority of audience and money as opposed to truth and discovery. Clearly with over a century under their belt as a non-profit, money was not the focus of the magazine; the society saw much more value in information for the betterment of humanity, the very foundation of journalism at its conception.

Under Murdoch’s control, I also question the fate of funding for research projects in which it has been known to support. National Geographic’s Global Exploration Fund supports research, exploration and conservation projects around the globe, sponsoring up to 300 projects a year (National Geographic). With majority control of the company and its assets, I wonder if the money given for such exploration will flow in the direction of Murdoch’s biases. Will the well dry up for in the pursuit of answers surrounding global warming? Only time will tell. But, chances are with his track record, Murdoch will not condone conversation he can’t control. At the time of the Wall Street Journal acquisition, a high-ranking editor, Marcus Brauchli, presented Murdoch with an editorial-independence agreement that created an advisory board to vet personnel choices and protect senior editors from the new ownership’s agenda (Grove). Murdoch not only rejected the proposal, but Brauchli was pushed out in less than a year. Furthermore, Fox has not been exempt to misrepresenting National Geographic in the past. They first joined forces in 1997 for the National Geographic Channel venture. The partnership has long been a source of internal conflict between Fox executives and National Geographic staffers who reportedly felt their vision of forward thinking and mindful conversation was outshadowed by decisions to air baseless shows such as “Doomsday Preppers” and “Banged Up Abroad” (Farhi). These shows are examples of slanting entertainment in replace of education and exemplifies the difference in Fox’s vision versus National Geographic’s mission. Last week, the current editor in chief, Susan Goldberg, commented in an interview that, “Fox has acknowledged that they have not always represented the National Geographic brand in some of those programs in a way we loved or even they loved (Farhi).” If decisions were made against the brand when the society still had majority control, I can only imagine what kind of debranding will take place now.

With 3.5 million subscribers in the U.S. and another 3 million abroad, National Geographic still has a massive following of people who expect their legendary quality and top-notch journalism. I don’t see how that trend can continue under the oppression that is Rupert Murdoch. If we learned anything from the News of the World scandal, a British News-Corp newspaper that went under fire last year after a decade-long scandal of phone hacking and bribery, is that Murdoch and family are willing to break the rules. They allowed their staff to be the pawns in their dirty game, and numerous News of the World journalists including the former editor faced prosecution and conviction for crimes in which Murdoch’s son, James, “admitted being aware of a damning email that contained evidence of widespread phone hacking (Boyle).” James is now the chief executive of 21st Century Fox despite his involvement in the scandal and despite the fact that the British paper folded after its exposure. There is no doubt his bad behavior won’t stay overseas where the Murdoch family was referred to as the “Murdoch Mafia” while the scandal played out. Instead, they have a whole new playing field with a publication that stands as a reliable news outlet for so many. Under the cover of such prestige, I worry they will manipulate the text to fit their agenda and chip away at the respect National Geographic has earned by so many talented, dedicated journalists and scientists of the past.

So long National Geographic; it was absolutely fantastic while it lasted. You will forever be in my childhood memories as a magazine that changed my world. Now, sadly, it is time for the world to change you. I am sickened by the thought that corporate domination has trumped the appetite for information that you have quenched for so many years.

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Citations

“About the National Geographic Society.” National Geographic (2015). Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

Boyle, Christina. “British phone-hacking scandal was a low point for Rupert Murdoch.” Los Angeles Times [California]. Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2015. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

Farhi, Paul. “National Geographic sets biggest layoffs in its history.” Washington Post [Washington, D.C.]. The Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2015. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

Farhi, Paul. “National Geographic gives Fox control of media assets in $725 million deal.” Washington Post [Washington, D.C.]. The Washington Post, 9 Sept. 2015. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

Folkenflik, David. “How Has ‘Wall Street Journal’ Fared Under Murdoch.” Wall Street Journal [New York]. Dow Jones & Company, 22 July 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

Grove, Lloyd. “Paper Chase.” New York Times [New York]. The New York Times Company, 21 May 2010. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

“More Americans Trust Fox News Than Obama On Climate Change, Poll Finds.” HuffingtonPost.com (2015). Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

“November 2015 Layoffs Begin at National Geographic.” JimRomenesko.com (2015). Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

Nuccitelli, Dana. “Rupert Murdoch doesn’t understand climate change basics, and that’s a problem.” Guardian [London]. Guardian News and Media, 14 July 2015. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

Saint Leo University Polling Institute. “Global Climate Change Questions.” Survey. 19 March 2015.

Advice for growing year-round

Rowe;s Garden "hoop house" - photo courtesy Barbara Rowe

In the wake of the recent E. coli scare in the Pacific Northwest, Lebanon resident Barbara Rowe, owner of Rowe’s Garden, hopes to educate locals on growing their own produce year-round.

“When you’re growing it yourself, you know what’s in your food,” Rowe said.

She believes in farm-to-table operations, and is a distributer at local farmers markets and to Willamette Valley businesses. Her clients include Lebanon’s 1847 Bar & Grill, Albany’s Ochoa Cheese Factory, and Corvallis’ Market of Choice.

Although her operation is on a larger scale than many home gardeners, she knows with the right setup, growing your own crop is possible for up to 10 months a year. She understands seasonal changes can constrict gardeners in the Willamette Valley, and her solution is the hoop house—a low tech, low cost growing space.

Hoop houses

“What you’re doing in a hoop house is controlling the water and the wind,” Rowe said.

From her observations, the wind-factor can change the external temperature for a plant by eight to 10 degrees. In the Willamette Valley, that can make a significant difference in how long a plant will produce.

Their stretched plastic cover, often in a tube-like shape, held up by the “hoops” that support them is how they got their name. What makes the hoop house unique is its plastic cover’s ability to roll up and down for needed heating and cooling.

“You literally roll it up so it comes up 3-4 feet on each side so you have airflow coming from one side to another,” she said. “During the night you can roll them down for warmth.”

Hoop houses require few supplemental systems such as fans and heaters that many greenhouses require. With the initial investment for the kit to get started, hoop houses will help keep overall operating costs down.

Although the hoop house may require more attention than an outdoor garden, they increase both the production of plants and their longevity. Because the hoop house protects the ground soil in which plants are grown, there is less stress on the plants resulting in a more plentiful production.

“The end of my summer has not ended yet. We will have tomatoes through Thanksgiving,” she said.

Rowe recommends two hoop house suppliers that have served her well: Oregon Valley Greenhouses and OBC Northwest.

Getting started

In Rowe’s opinion, controlling water is one of the most important elements in a successful hoop house, and will affect the overall happiness of plants. She suggests that one of the first things done in a hoop house is installing a timed watering system.

A watering system ensures plants receive regular water, and allows you peace of mind if a busy day keeps you from tending the garden. Overwatering can cause as much damage as under watering, which is another reason Rowe recommends a controlled watering system.

“A filter setup at the water source will keep sand out of the system that will clog the timer,” she cautions.

For a good selection of filters and watering systems, Rowe recommends Home Depot or Dripworks in California.

She also found through trial and error that much of the local well water has iron in it, which can damage systems and drippers. City water, she found, contains less iron. She suggests to keep this in mind when selecting a system.

Controlling the climate

As winter approaches light becomes more scarce, and during the shortest days of the year plants receive  about seven hours of sunlight. That, combined with cold weather, is the reason winter production comes to a halt. There are, however, steps you can take to help protect your plants from low temperatures in a hoop house.

“Row cover cloth will give you 3-4 degrees of protection from frost,” Rowe said.

The cloth is essentially a blanket for your plants, protecting roots by trapping heat and shielding them from chilled winds. Increasing the temperature by a few degrees during the winter can result in a longer growing season.

Rowe recommends buying row cover cloth from Johnny’s Selected Seeds in Maine.

Growing the crop

A benefit to the controlled environment in a hoop house, especially during the winter, is combating natural phenomena that occurs when plants are exposed outdoors.

“Any of your root crops that grow in the winter you can grow in or out, but get bigger in a hoop house,” Rowe said. “Whatever is happening outside, your hoop house is growing for you.”

Root rot is common in bulbous winter crops such as onions. In a hoop house, by controlling the groundwater and eliminating the flood-factor, root rot should be of little concern, according to Rowe. Protecting leaves from rain or snow also keeps leafy winter greens in good condition for longer.

“I think that with our changing climate it’s especially important to avail ourselves of theses things,” she said.

By not rolling up the sides on a stormy or foggy day, the hoop house will maintain a consistent temperature. Solar heat collected by the transparent plastic covering will provide warmth, even on a cold day. Extreme cold can kill plants overnight without any protection, she cautions.

Rowe’s crop recommendations for winter produce are: kale, swiss chard, leeks, lettuce, onions, garlic and shallots. She has had success growing each of them in her hoop houses this time of year.