As described above, a High Tunnel is simply another term for an economical, semi-permanent, portable type of hoop house used primarily by farmers who grow crops directly in soil. Its distinguishing characteristic, as you would imagine, is its height, designed to allow tractors and other large farm equipment access to the field without removing the cover. High tunnel houses often have large openings on both ends to provide easy accessibility to the crop rows by farm personnel, in addition to necessary planting and harvesting machinery. They are the same basic design and offer similar advantages as the smaller, lower-profile hoop houses, but they offer greater flexibility, and they can accommodate larger planting areas and more diverse crops.
Small to medium-size farm operations can benefit greatly from the protection offered by a well-designed, simply-constructed high-tunnel hoop house, and the specialized, protected growing area that it provides for a wide variety of crops to be grown. In some cases, farmers who invest in low or high tunnel hoop houses still may qualify for special financing or financial assistance. High tunnel hoop houses are also designed for areas with high wind and heavy snow loads, and are even used by growers in Alaska and the far northern states. They are currently designed for access by large farm equipment, and there is discussion about futuristic use of robots and robotic engineering to make them even more modern and productive.
