Pathways Forward
Pathways Forward · Proposed model plan · September 26, 2026

Homeschool Market-Garden Team, Tri-Cities

A model for how a multi-age homeschool team could grow produce in an NRCS cost-shared high tunnel on a host family's land in Benton or Franklin County and sell at the Pasco Farmers Market. Older members would leave each year and younger ones join, while the team, the tunnel and the market stall keep going. No team has been formed yet; this is a plan to start from.

Washington's deadline is December 18, 2026, but most families should plan for next year. Washington NRCS funds high tunnels through EQIP, and the current application cutoff is December 18, 2026. The land must already be producing food sold directly to consumers: NRCS looks for soil that has been prepared and crops planted and tended through a growing season. A host family that already grows and sells produce can contact the Pasco USDA Service Center this fall. Everyone else should grow and sell from outdoor beds in 2027, keep records of it, and apply before the next cutoff in fall 2027.

Who does what

Applicant & landownerHost family

Holds the EQIP contract, the FSA farm record and the land. May qualify as beginning farmers, which brings a higher payment rate and up to 50% paid in advance, covering the cost of building before reimbursement.

Youth organizationBenton-Franklin 4-H club

A horticulture project club through WSU Extension Benton & Franklin Counties. The host parent becomes a 4-H volunteer leader. 4-H supplies structure, record books and youth-program backing. Ask the Extension office about age rules and leader screening.

Market vendorAdult of record

One adult holds the market spot, the Washington business license (UBI number), any city license, the liability insurance and any scale and nursery registrations, and runs the booth with the students.

Put a short written host–team agreement in place before applying: land access schedule, irrigation water and who pays for it, who keeps sales proceeds, insurance, and what happens if the family moves during the life of the tunnel contract.

Roles by age

AgesRole
5–7Seed starting, watering, harvest helpers
8–11Planting, weeding, washing and bunching, booth display
12–14Crop calendar, soil, irrigation and yield records, pricing research
15–18Crew leads, booth sales, bookkeeping, NRCS records, training the next group. Seniors write a handoff notebook before they leave.

Rules that shape the plan

  • No building before approval. Work started before the EQIP contract is signed is ineligible.
  • High tunnel standard (practice 325): a manufactured kit, crops grown in the ground, heated and cooled passively (a simple fan is allowed). Greenhouses don't qualify. NRCS sets a maximum payment per tunnel. Tri-Cities springs are windy, so choose a kit rated for high wind and anchor it well.
  • Market: the Pasco Farmers Market is run by the City of Pasco. Its vendor fees, insurance requirements and rules for who may sell were not available to check for this plan. Call the market coordinator before counting on a spot, and ask about youth or student vendors and whether a student-run team booth with an adult present is allowed.
  • Taxes: fresh produce is exempt from Washington sales tax, but retail sales are subject to the state B&O tax. Small sellers often owe little after the small business credit; check the Department of Revenue guide for farmers.
  • City license: Pasco, Kennewick and Richland each have their own business license rules. Ask the market and the host family's city which license is needed and whether farmers selling their own produce are exempt.
  • Other permits: whole, uncut fruits and vegetables generally need no health permit, but samples, cut produce and eggs do. Benton-Franklin Health District temporary food permit applications are due 14 days before the event. A WSDA nursery license applies if plant-start sales pass $100, and anything sold by weight needs a registered scale.

Timeline

By Dec 18, 2026If the host family already grows and sells produce, contact NRCS at the Pasco USDA Service Center before the cutoff. Ask whether the land qualifies, which office covers it (Benton County land may be served from Kennewick), and whether the family has an FSA farm/tract number.
Fall–winter 2026Set up an FSA farm record at the Service Center (AD-1026, AGI, farm operating plan). Enroll the club with Benton-Franklin 4-H and complete leader screening. Apply for the Washington business license and UBI number, and any city license.
Winter–spring 2027Call the Pasco market coordinator for the 2027 vendor application, fees and insurance requirements. Get the insurance certificate and register the scale.
May–October 2027Grow outdoor beds and sell at the market on Saturdays (the 2026 season ran May 9 to October 31). Keep planting, irrigation and sales records. This season shows NRCS the land is in production.
Fall 2027Apply for EQIP before the next Washington cutoff. Confirm the date and process with the field office in the summer.
After approvalBuild the tunnel as a team project. The tunnel moves tomatoes and cucumbers weeks ahead of outdoor crops, keeps greens coming for opening day and the last October markets, and shelters crops from wind and blowing sand.

First-year costs

Market vendor and booth feesAsk the Pasco market coordinator
City business licenseAsk the city (Pasco, Kennewick or Richland)
Washington business licenseState fee; see the Business Licensing Service
4-H enrollmentAsk the Extension office
Liability insuranceget quote
Temporary food permit (only for samples, cut produce or eggs)Ask the Health District
Irrigation (drip line, timer, water)get quote
High tunnelPaid by EQIP up to a per-tunnel maximum; confirm the Washington rate with the field office. Budget for the gap between the payment and actual cost, plus shade cloth for summer and extra anchoring for wind.

What the students learn

  • Crop planning, soil, irrigation and season extension in a hot, dry, windy climate with about 7 in. of rain a year, where water and heat matter as much as frost (PF Ag & Precision Farming curriculum).
  • Keeping records that hold up: yields, water, costs and NRCS documentation (PF Verification Track).
  • Pricing, cash handling, customer service, bookkeeping and a state tax return.
  • Working with public agencies: forms, deadlines, inspections.
  • Teaching younger members, which is how the team renews itself.

Using AI to plan

The garden shows students how useful AI can be, even on a hands-on, non-technical project like this one. Every AI task follows the same three steps: ask a clear question with the local facts included, check the answer against a trusted source or the garden itself, and record what was right and what wasn't. Younger members watch an older student ask the AI a question, then help check the answer in the beds, for example "Is the soil warm enough for beans yet?" Middle members write their own questions for pricing and planting dates. The oldest members plan the season with AI and teach the others how to catch its mistakes. By the time students age out, they have years of practice using AI as a helper whose work always gets checked.

Where it helps

  • Crop calendar: work back from market Saturdays to seeding dates, with succession plantings so the booth stays full from May through October. See the 2027 Tri-Cities crop calendar.
  • Season business plan: expected costs, yields, sales, market fees and unsold or spoiled produce.
  • Annual report: how the team performed against the plan, what went well, and what to do better next season.
  • Tunnel sizing and layout: bed plans, drip irrigation, venting, shade and wind anchoring, and cost against the NRCS payment.
  • Paperwork prep: plain-English walkthroughs of the USDA forms and a draft host–team agreement.
  • Records: yield, sales, water and cost sheets, with running totals for the B&O return.

Where people still decide

  • Local knowledge: windy or frost-prone spots on the land, water rights and irrigation district rules, what sells in the Tri-Cities, which varieties handle 100°F days. Ask WSU Extension, Master Gardeners and other vendors.
  • AI gets local dates, rules and rates wrong. Check every one against the official source.
  • It can't sign or file forms, or stand in for the adult at the booth.

A role for the 15–18 group: draft the season plan with AI, then check it against Extension guides and what actually grew. Record the results each year so the next group starts with better local data.