1. High Tunnel Budgets

2. Construction Cost

3. What to consider when constructing a high tunnel
Site preparation
Grading, preparing surface- Tractor with bucket attachment, grader blade, land leveler, box blade
Posts- setting and driving in
Forming beds- Do you need to bring in soil?
Water- no way to do without this
Soil? – Do you need to amend plot after grading?
Site preparation can be $500-$1000 to contract out
Post set and driving can be $200-$400 to contract out

4. What do you want to do with it?
Winter farming/ Summer off
may be able to do a caterpillar
Want to do summer growing as well
will need side walls for ventilation
May need a shade cloth and insect netting

5. How big? Standard NRCS Tunnels 30’ wide x 72’ long- 2160 sq. ft.
-NRCS will cover up to 2,178 sq. ft. Max $10,000
-You need to buy up front and they will reimburse you
-If you want a 30 x 96 tunnel you will have to pay the difference.
Gothic or Quanset? Is there snowfall?
4’ or 6’ bows. If any snowfall then they recommend 4’ bows

6. Construction Cost 30x96 Gothic 4’Bows
Materials $
Labor $12.00
Site Preparation/posts $750 site prep and $300 posts 60
1,050 (may be more than $12/hr)
High tunnel + delivery $600- Atlas 2018
48 hours (depends on skill set)
7600
576
Cover and side wall 6 mil poly 4 yr + repair tape 10 hours
548
120
Ventilation System 5 hours
1,619
Lumber Hardware
32 hours
800
384
Endwall finish 12 hours
250
144
Irrigation 2.5 hours
145 30
Total
11,022
2,364

7. Construction Materials Annual Cost
Construction Cost
Materials
Useful Life
Annual cost
Site Preparation 60 15 4
Frame/ doors+ delivery
7,600
507
Cover and side wall 6 mil poly 4 yr + repair tape
548
137
Ventilation System
1,619
108
Lumber Hardware
800 53
Endwall finish
250 10 25
Irrigation
145
14.5
Labor
2,364
158
Total
1006.5

8. Estimating total revenue
Yields:
-Expect between 8-15 lbs/plant
-Can vary for different varieties, planting dates, growing conditions, fertility
-Keep yield records
-Use about 6 sq. ft per plant
What price ?
_reports.htm
-Check local market prices
-Producing earlier or later in season?

9. Estimate High tunnel Tomato Enterprise
30 x 96 Gothic High tunnel 2,880 sq. ft
Early season one crop
Tomato
12 lbs/plant $2.50/lb
2,880 sq. ft/ 6 sq. ft./plant= plants
480 plants * 12 lbs/ plant = 5, 760 lbs
5, 760 lbs * $2.50= $14,400

10. Variable Cost Materials
480 plants/ 2, 880 sq. ft.
Material Costs
Plants ($ ea.)
Banner greenhouses
$150
Fertilizer
$175
Irrigation supplies
$25
Stakes, string, clips
$200
Harvesting baskets/ boxes/ etc.
$137
Mis supplies
Sub total
$837.00

11. Variable Labor Cost 480 plants/ 2,880 sq. ft
Labor Hours
Farm School
Iowa Extension
Michigan Extension
Wiswall
Soil/Bed Preparation 16 12 7
13.5
Transplanting 4
6.5
9.5
4.5
Maintenance 60
30.5
26.4 65
Harvesting 40 39
103
Marketing 10
hours
130
109
91.9
193
$12 hr wage
$ ,560,00
$ ,308.00
$ ,102.80
$ ,316.00

12. Total Cost 5760 lbs assuming 1 planting of 480 plants Total
$ Per lb Yield 5,760 lbs
Annualized Construction Cost
$1006.5
.17
Fixed cost (interest, taxes, land)
$1,085
.19
Variable Cost materials
$837
.15
Variable Cost labor
$1560
.27
Total Cost
$4488.5
.78
5760 lbs assuming 1 planting of 480 plants

13. Returns At Various Prices
$1.50/LB
$2.00/LB
$2.50/LB
Gross Returns
$8,640
$11,520
$14,400
Variable Cost (incl. labor)
$2,397
Returns over Variable Cost
$6,243
$9,123
$12,003
Fixed Cost
(+ annualized construction)
$2091.5
Returns over Total Cost $ $ $
Total profit/lb
.72
1.22
1.72

14. Breakeven Analysis Variable cost and labor $2,397
$2,397/yield of 5,760 LBS
Price needed to cover variable costs = $0.42
Variable+ Fixed Costs: $2,397+$ =$4,488.50/High Tunnel
Price needed to cover total costs =$.78/lb

15. Other Expenses not included
Highly variable:
Marketing
-Depends on direct to consumer, retail or wholesale
-Yields this high may require several different market outlets
-Distribution costs, packaging, mileage, labor costs and post harvest handling will all be different depending on market outlet
- Any certifications such as organic or Gap.

16. Some calculations made based on following resources Iowa Extension Resource Missouri Extension Resource Richard Wiswall, The Organic Farmers Business Handbook