"Corn Crib" Greenhouse

"Corn Crib" Greenhouse BUILDINGS Miscellaneous 34-3-43 Ray Sheets, Helena, Ohio, grows flowers and vegetables in a 12-ft. wide by 14-ft. long portable hoop greenhouse. What makes the greenhouse unique is that it's constructed from an old wire corn crib. "It works great for starting plants in the fall or even growing them all year long. Best of all, it didn't cost much to build," says Sheets. He cut the round corn crib apart to make two half circles, which he connected end to end. He filled in each end of the building with more corn crib wire and covered it with 4 to 6 mil plastic. Then he laid vinyl-coated wire over the top to hold the plastic in place. He also framed in a door at each end, and mounted the greenhouse on 4 by 6 wood skids. "It works great for starting plants in the spring but can also be used for other purposes. Best of all, it's built almost entirely from recycled materials so it didn't cost much to build," says Sheets. "I bought the corn crib from a neighbor for $50 and spent about $10 on other materials. "It makes a nice, cozy place to go in cold weather. During the winter I use the greenhouse as a workshop. It sits on top of a septic tank leach field where the ground never freezes. I also keep a small wood stove inside and even a dozen baby chickens. It stays so warm inside that last winter I was able to work in a T-shirt with a foot of snow on the ground outside. "During the summer I haul the building out to my garden. I also put black fabric over the building to help keep it cooler inside." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ray Sheets, 5970 County Road 25, Helena, Ohio 43435 (ph 419 260-2807).

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