UW-Madison nutritional sciences professor Pete Anderson grows brussels sprouts, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes in his Madison backyard every summer, but soon he’ll be harvesting his salad fixings in February.
Anderson is building two “hoop houses,” metal-and-plastic greenhouse-like structures that are gaining popularity in northern urban areas as part of the “grow local” food movement. The structures extend the growing season by several months and can be far less expensive than a greenhouse.