The Big Horn Basin offers fertile ground for a variety of seasonal crops — from fields full of sugar beets to backyards brimming with tomatoes. But, asks Mike Poulsen, what about blood oranges and bananas? Given the subzero winters, the idea of Wyomingites cultivating tropical fruits might sound far-fetched, but it's not just a thought experiment.
Poulsen and his company, Alpine Botanica, specialize in designing and building geothermal greenhouses that use the stable temperatures found just below the earth's surface for heating and cooling. He said the approach has allowed growers far north of the tropics to cultivate everything from avocados to passion fruit — including a large installation just outside Cody where lemons, limes and grapefruits steadily grow through Wyoming's subzero winters.
"It's something that's completely fun and different," Poulsen said, "to where we're not just relegated to growing the stereotypical carrots, tomatoes and whatnot."
Not all of his projects are as ambitious. He can help with any kind of greenhouse projects — whether a grower is looking for a commercial-scale geothermal installation, a basic season-extending greenhouse for a hobbyist or something in between.
Read more at Powell Tribune