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Low, Quick, and Caterpillar Tunnels: An Overview of Season Extension Techniques

Robert Hadad, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program

Last Modified: January 24, 2013

Low, Quick, and Caterpillar Tunnels: An Overview of Season Extension Techniques
Season extension offers growers expanded times for growing produce. Getting an early jump or holding crops later into the sales season can really increase profits when the techniques are used and costs taken into account.

There are many styles and types of construction available on the internet. The ones mentioned in this presentation cover what is commonly available. Many suppliers carry hoop materials, row covers, and greenhouse film. Ingenuity and imagination creates more effective ways of set up and operation.

The caterpillar example in this presentation is based on low-cost materials. The tunnel is not recommended for handling snow loads. One problem found with it is that rain water can pool pockets of the greenhouse film between the cord/rope. This would require daily observations to push the water out so as not to cause bending of the hoops. Use of the tunnel should be for the extension of the season or getting an earlier start of the season making it easier to work inside. In order for the tunnel to stand up to the winter, daily maintenance is required.

A heavy duty version of the caterpillar tunnel is shown in another presentation listed on this website. It uses chain link fence poles and offers year-round operation with the stronger construction.

Additional resources that may be helpful to you:
Resources and Supplies for Tunnel Construction (PDF; 196KB)

Diggin' Tunnels: Low, Quick, and Caterpillar Tunnels for Season Extension (pdf; 2108KB)

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Upcoming Events

Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Food Safety Training

March 10, 2026
Newark, NY

Learn about food safety on the farm! This event hosted by the Cornell Vegetable Program, Cornell Lake Ontario Fruit Team, CCE Wayne County, and the NYS Department of Agriculture, will cover good agricultural practices (GAPs) to help reduce the risk of microbial contamination on the farm, keeping food and consumers safe.

View Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Food Safety Training Details

Urban Ag Food Safety Webinar

March 11, 2026

Urban and small-scale producers are encouraged to join us for the Urban Ag Food Safety webinar, featuring speakers from Cornell Cooperative Extension and Cornell IPM. We will explore the 'why' behind food safety, providing a basic overview and diving into specific urban ag considerations including water, pest, rodent, and soil health challenges. We will touch on the regulation and marketing landscape, and share resources for learning more. Bring your questions!

View Urban Ag Food Safety Webinar Details

2026 NYS Processing Vegetable Educational Meeting

Event Offers DEC Credits

March 16, 2026
Batavia, NY

Processing vegetable industry members who grow, manage, or support crop production for Farm Fresh First/Nortera Foods, Seneca Foods and/or Love Beets, are encouraged to sign-up for the 2026 NYS Processing Vegetable Industry Meeting! You will:

  • Network at this in-person meeting.
  • Learn the results of industry-funded research.
  • Have a voice in Cornell research and Extension.

DEC recertification credits available: 2.0 in categories 1a, 10, and 23.

2.0 Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) credits available.

View 2026 NYS Processing Vegetable Educational Meeting Details

Announcements

2025 Year in Review

Our 2025 Year in Review and 2026 Preview report highlights some of the many research and educational programs led by our team in 2025. Plus, we provide a sneak peek at some of our plans for 2026!
  • Integrating Laser Weeders into Muck Onion Production
  • Cornell Vegetable Program Advances Cover Crop Research
  • New, Interactive Pesticide Safety Programming Protects Farmer Health
  • Specialty Potato Variety Trial Tests Varieties During a Hot Growing Season
  • Mushroom Enthusiasm Grows
  • Equipping Sweet Corn Growers for an Emerging Disease: Tar Spot
  • Farm Food Safety Educational Outreach
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  • In 2026...


Cornell Crop and Pest Management Guidelines Paused

From Cornell IPM:

Highlighting its commitment to quality and long-term sustainability, Cornell Integrated Pest Management's Pesticide Safety Education Program has announced a pause in production of the 2026 Cornell Crop and Pest Management Guidelines.

Cornell IPM Director Alejandro Calixto said this temporary measure is the result of a comprehensive reimagining process facilitated by Illume Projects of Ithaca, which included end-user interviews, internal surveys and sales data analytics.

"It became clear to us that we cannot continue producing the guidelines and fully restructure them at the same time," Calixto said. "By pausing production, we can dedicate all available resources and time to rebuilding the production process, ensuring that when we re-launch in 2027, the guidelines will reflect a modernized approach built around the grower and other user experience."

A series of annually updated reference manuals produced by Cornell IPM and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), the Cornell Crop and Pest Management Guidelines are widely used by farmers, agronomists, crop consultants and extension educators in New York and throughout the Northeast. They include information about current IPM recommendations, pesticide options, cultural practices, nutrient management, disease, insect and weed identification and resistance-management strategies.

Calixto and Pesticide Safety Education Program Lead Mike Helms will spearhead efforts to restructure the guideline process over the next 12 months, with a goal of launching a more streamlined, user-friendly version in 2027.

Limited copies of the 2025 guidelines remain available for purchase while supplies last through The Cornell Store. The 2026-2027 Greenhouse Guidelines will be available.

For more information contact Helms at mjh14@cornell.edu.


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