DRAWING THE SHEET —
CULTIVATION / PRODUCE — YEAR-ROUND LOCAL SUPPLY
Grow for the grocer all winter on a heating bill you can predict.
The grocer wants basil in January from a farm they can drive to. This house holds the light and the heat at a margin that survives the utility bill.
- GROWS IN FEBRUARY
- FANS + WET WALL — ONE PRICED PACKAGE
- COOLER CANOPY UNDER COOL LOCK
01 — THE CLOSED CALENDAR
A closed month is a contract someone else keeps.
The field closes in October. The grocer keeps ordering through March. Count what last winter's gap cost you in standing orders, then price a house that grows in February against it.
02 — THE MECHANISM
The house keeps winter heat in and turns summer heat away.
A cooler canopy in July.
Cool Lock absorbs about 69% less solar heat than bare galvanized (NASA Publication 1121): why the frame is white.
One air package, engineered to the size of the house.
Exhaust fans pull outside air through the wet wall and down every foot of the crop. The full spec lives at active ventilation.
A screen that pays on both ends of the year.
Thermal screens commonly save 30–50% on heating (UMass), and automated roof shading runs $8,000 in the book. See roof shading.
An envelope you can close for winter.
Polycarbonate or insulated endwalls and air-gap covering hold a cold night's heat. Build it in the build tool.
PE-stamped steel clears the permit.
County-sized wind and 60–80 lb+ snow, with the rating picked on The Series.
Price a produce house
ACTIVE VENTILATION COMES ON BY DEFAULT.
03 — FOOD-SAFETY BY DESIGN
Mesh keeps the pests out.
Fine insect screening ($850 in the book) excludes pests physically, cutting chemical inputs and insect-vectored viruses, and a sealed door holds the line at every entry. There is a real tradeoff: 50-mesh cuts airflow 30–40%, so we size the fans and openings with the screen from the start.
- PHYSICAL EXCLUSION
- NETTING LASTS 10–15 YEARS
- AIRFLOW SIZED FOR THE SCREEN
GENERAL HORTICULTURAL PRACTICE — NOT CERTIFICATION TO ANY FOOD-SAFETY STANDARD. CONFIRM YOUR PROGRAM WITH YOUR OWN AUDITOR.
04 — THE SECOND WEEK OF JANUARY
The standing order that didn't lapse.
Second week of January: you're cutting basil into the same clamshells you filled in July, 72°on your arms while the thermometer by the door reads 19. The circulation fans kept the canopy air even all afternoon; the wet wall hasn't run since September.
05 — THE OBJECTION LEDGER
The four questions every produce grower asks.
“How much does it cost, really?”
$40,000 for a 30×60 frame in the book, and worked builds run about $51,050 to $364,250. Both compute live at the build tool and in the cost article.
“Won't the winter heating bill eat my margin?”
Your climate and crop set that bill, so we size it instead of quoting a canned savings number. An energy screen commonly saves 30–50% (UMass), and the operating math lives at what heating and cooling cost to run.
“Do I need the fancy climate control?”
Most produce runs fine on the active-ventilation package, so put the money in covering and screens. If your summers run hot and humid, we'll say so: the one question.
“Can my crew put it up?”
Yes: 22 kinds of parts, one kind of bolt, four people, 10–14 days, no crane. Steel ships 7 days after the order.
06 — THE FIT FILTER
Who this house fits.
IT’S FOR YOU IF
You sell produce locally and want to keep selling it through the cold months, on an operating bill you can predict.
IT’S NOT FOR YOU IF
You need contract-grade, year-round precision on a hot-and-humid site. That calls for VPD control, and we'll point you there on the first call.
07 — QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
What produce growers ask before they call.
Can I grow produce year-round in one of these?
Yes. Cool Lock white steel keeps the summer canopy cooler, an insulated envelope and energy screen hold winter heat, and the active-ventilation package carries the hot months. Your climate and crop set the operating bill, so we size that with you.
Do I need mechanical climate control for produce?
Most produce grows well on the active-ventilation package, tracking the weather within a reasonable band. A hot-and-humid site or a consistency-critical contract changes the answer, and the decision lives at /environmental-systems.
How does the greenhouse help with food safety?
Fine insect screening and sealed doors cut chemical inputs and insect-vectored viruses. This is general horticultural practice, so confirm your certification program with your own auditor.
What does a produce greenhouse cost?
The frame starts at $40,000 in the book, and worked builds run from about $51,050 to $364,250 by size and covering. Price yours at /build.
How fast can I be growing?
Steel ships 7 days after your order, and a four-person crew stands the frame in 10–14 days. Site work, permits, and power set the rest; the full list is at /answers/how-long-does-a-greenhouse-take.
MORE OF THESE AT THE ANSWER DESK.
Price the house that grows in February.
The preset build opens with active ventilation on, and screens and shading are a line each. Sixty seconds prices your exact structure from the book.
60 SECONDS. BOOK PRICES. NO EMAIL GATE.