Hoophouse Build at Maple Leaf Farm

Written by Laura Haselhuhn

Looking for a quick way to attach purlins to a hoophouse?  Here’s an idea that we thought of at a recent hoophouse build. Try backing a semi-truck in to the build site, use the flat bed to stand on and forget about climbing up and down ladders.

The flatbed idea worked great! We had the 5 runs of purlins done on the 96’ long house done in no time at all.  We didn’t have to spend time climbing up and down ladders, holding ladders for people and handing tools up and down to people working up high.  It was a great time saver.

We used this idea at a recent training build at Maple Leaf Farm, located near Cadillac in northern Michigan.  Maple Leaf Farm raises goats and currently sells goat milk and soaps, they are venturing into season extension with a 30’x 96’ hoophouse to grow vegetables to supplement their goat products throughout the season. Maple Leaf Farm also owns a trucking company, which is why there was a flat bed on hand and a skilled driver to back the truck into the build site.

The build went really well, and it was a fun crew to work with.  On day one we did bow assembly, squaring the site, putting in groundposts, standing up bows, attaching purlins and baseboards.  On day two we did endwall framing, rollup side prep work, hip-boards, and started the polycarbonate on one of the endwalls.  On day three we finished one endwall, but then the weather didn’t cooperate to finish with the other endwall, the plastic and rollup sides, (too much rain and wind).  The crew up there that volunteered to help has experience with pulling plastic.  We’re hoping to make it back up there soon to help finish the hoophouse if need be.  From talking to the farmers this week on the phone though it sounds like they are almost done.