NEW SHARON — The new, “high tunnel” enclosed growing area at Hoof ‘n Paw Farm is giving owners Karla Bock and Bob Basile a chance to grow a greater variety of vegetables earlier in the spring and later in the fall.

“We have been interested in extending our season,” said Basile, who farms with Percheron horses. “And the biggest thing with this is the extra room. Right now, we have seedlings growing in there and with the added protection, we’ll be able to harvest them into the fall. This is still new to us but there are a lot of possibilities.”

He said the 26 -by 76-foot enclosed area has especially helped this year with the wet spring that delayed field planting. And it means there are more options to rotate growing beds so harvests can be staggered.

Hoof ‘n Paw organic farm on Starks Road produces a variety of vegetables, potatoes, garlic, dry beans and flower and herb seedlings. The couple previously had two high tunnels but these were small and more room was needed, he said.

Basile and Bock’s high tunnel was built with the help of a three-year pilot project managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

In Maine, in fiscal year 2010, NRCS had obligated funding for the establishment of 19 high tunnels. In fiscal 2011, the agency had 134 applications and 62 were funded, according to spokeswoman Elaine Tremble.

The pilot, part of the Department of Agriculture’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative, is an effort to connect farmers and consumers, strengthen local and regional food production, increase the use of sustainable agricultural practices, and promote consumption of fresh, local food, according to the NRCS website.

There are 10 farms in Franklin County building high tunnels. The first one up and running was at Sandy River Farm on Farmington Falls Road in Farmington, owned by Brenda and L. Herbert “Bussie” York.

It helped the family get an earlier start on tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers to sell at their new farm market store and they plan to grow cold-hardy crops like spinach and carrots into the fall, Tremble said.

A high tunnel is an energy-efficient greenhouse-like structure, at least six feet high, made of ribs of metal pipe and covered with a layer of plastic sheeting.

Unlike greenhouses, tunnels require no energy, relying on sunlight to modify the climate inside and create favorable conditions for growing crops directly in the soil.

In addition to extending the growing season, the tunnels help farmers diversify production, use less water, reduce pesticide use, maintain soil nutrients, and increase crop yields, according to the NRCS website.

The program assists with the cost of materials for structures up to 2,178 square feet. The farmer is responsible for site preparation and labor, with planning assistance provided by the local NRCS office.

Paul Hersey, the district conservationist with Franklin County NRCS in Farmington, said the high tunnel program has generated considerable interest among market growers here, and there were more applicants than funds available.

Although the deadline for applications for the 2012 season has passed, interested growers should still contact their local NRCS office in the event the program is extended, he said.

Among the requirements are that the farmer sell more than $1,000 a year in agricultural products and have a conservation plan in place, he said.

Once enrolled, growers will be asked to document what they grow, what soil amendments they used, operation costs and yields. At the end of the pilot, NRCS will assess the conservation impact of the project.

In Maine, the data will be analyzed by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

Since March 2011, Hersey said his office has funded a total of 86 new contracts, totaling nearly $830,000, up from about $700,000 the year before. Funding was through the 2008 Farm Bill.

In addition to the high tunnels, other cost-sharing projects here include manure storage, barnyard improvement, pasture and forest management, and road, trail, and bridge improvements. There have been programs to help organic producers, woodland owners, and funds to support wildlife habitat.

NRCS, in existence since 1935, is the lead conservation agency that helps farmers conserve, maintain and improve natural resources through science-based conservation efforts, technical assistance and incentive-based programs.