Greenhouse FAQs

Why are we building a new greenhouse when there is already one/several on the site?

The greenhouses that exist on the site have been closed by UMass because of concerns about maintenance costs and safety. Since we are not permitted to use our old greenhouse space anymore, we’ve decided that the best option for our farm is to build our own!

What are the advantages of the new green house? What will this provide the farm?

The new greenhouse provides us with several types of advantages. Agriculturally, we’ll be able to produce healthy seedlings of varieties that we want to grow, including heirloom and hard-to-find crops. We can time our plantings in the greenhouse to coincide with our field plantings in order to provide our CSA and hunger relief partners with consistent supplies of crops over the course of the growing season. The greenhouse is also an important educational space, allowing us to host service learning groups and individuals earlier in the spring than we can in the field. The greenhouse will also serve as a curing and storage space for many crops, including winter squash and onions.

How are we funding the new greenhouse project?

Like all of our work at CFO, the greenhouse is funded through a combination of earned income from our CSA, the support of our members, contributions from local businesses and organizations, and grants from foundations. You can help to fund the greenhouse project, as well as many of our other activities, by renewing your CFO membership, buying your 2005 CSA share now, and/or contributing to our annual appeal (going on now!).

Can I volunteer to work on the greenhouse?

Thanks to our staff and many dedicated volunteers the greenhouse is already up. Stop by the rose gardens and check it out.

There are other volunteer opportunities and upcoming projects you can help with, however. In the upcoming months, we will begin preparing for our Spring Fling Fundraiser. There are several volunteer opportunities to assist with the planning and organizing of this event with CFO board members, as well as helping on the day of the event. If you are interested in learning more about this opportunities, or other ongoing work, please contact the volunteer coordinators at volunteer@communityfarms.org

Will the new greenhouse mean that there will be an increase in the cost of the CSA shares?

No. The cost of CSA shares will not increase for the 2005 season.

Will having a greenhouse increase our operating costs for next season?

Yes. The operating costs will increase, but this will be incorporated into the working budget for the CFO 2005 season.