Imagine eating fresh lettuce, kale and other fancy greens in the middle of a northern Michigan winter. Not the kind trucked from afar and zapped with a bunch of chemicals, but the kind picked just yesterday and trucked (by pickup) to the local grocery store or restaurant.

That’s the hope of three Eastern Upper Peninsula vegetable growers who are part of a study with Michigan State University and funded by a grant from the Kellogg Foundation and the C.S. Mott Sustainable Chair. Two residents of Rudyard and one from Engadine were awarded 30-by-96-foot unheated “hoop houses” to take part in a three-year study to find out if growing and selling fresh produce year-round is feasible in the Upper Peninsula.

One recipient of a hoop house, Dale Moore, of Engadine, is optimistic about the outcome. He should be. Moore has grown fresh greens through the winter in a smaller unheated hoop house prior to graduating to the larger hoop house this past summer. He’s managed to harvest greens every month of the year, yet admits he isn’t growing enough yet to meet the demand for fresh greens.

We’ve been pleased with the response of the people around here to our lettuce and salad mixes,” said Moore, who is running the pilot operation with the help of his wife, Kame, and two children, Heather and Daniel. He currently sells produce to area grocery stores and the farmer’s market in the summer.

On a cold winter day in December, I kicked the snow off my boots and entered Moore’s idea of a “winter wonderland.” The floor of the hoop house was carpeted in various shades of green – representing a diverse mix of nutritious salad greens such as leaf lettuce, romaine, spinach, kale, claytonia, and romaine – all grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Muddy paths between the rows indicated that the ground was still not frozen, though it was as hard as a rock just outside the door.

Moore says he plants seeds for northern hardy varieties in late September when the days are still relatively long. The photosynthesis during this time period is sufficient to germinate the seeds. Throughout the fall, the Moores are able to harvest the greens weekly. Growth continues as the days grow shorter and colder, slow considerably near the longest day of the year in December and comes to a grinding halt as temperatures inside and out of the greenhouse stay well below freezing.

At this time the greens may actually freeze, and if picked at this stage will blacken when thawed. However, as the days get a little longer in January and sun fills the greenhouse with solar energy, the greens thaw and start growing again.

Moore, who is a science teacher at Engadine High School, said he must keep hard data on all aspects of the growing and selling experience to provide monthly to researchers at MSU. The data will be collected from all of the growers participating in the study to see if it is feasible to grow fresh produce year-round and make a profit.

Though not a certified organic gardener, Moore said he uses “organic-type methods” to grow his produce, which means no chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Instead, Moore relies on beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, to control the aphid population, should they become a problem. He uses pesticides approved by organic growers when the need arises. The Moore’s do most of the cultivation inside the greenhouse by hand to avoid the toxic fumes from a rototiller.

Moore admits that growing fresh greens in a large greenhouse is time-consuming. However, as Kame points out, “We’re doing it as a family, which means more time spent together.” The kids don’t seem to mind, but, said Daniel with a grin, “it’s fun when you can pick a lot in a short period of time.”

One person who is keeping a watchful eye on the EUP project is Jim Lucas, Chippewa County Extension Agent. Lucas, who recruited Moore and Rudyard residents Mark Blackwood and Steve Hoolsema for the project, and was instrumental in bringing back the Farmer’s Market to the Sault Ste. Marie area, hopes the hoop houses can extend the season “on both ends” and will provide more fresh produce to the area.