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The Hoop House
Crossing Hedgerows Farm is the Cavanaugh family farm which is adjacent to the Sanctuary land. It is currently also being shared with the community as part of the nonprofit mission. So sometimes you will see us refer to “Crossing Hedgerows Farm and Sanctuary”.
One of the aspects of the farm is the hoop house. It is a 30’x72′ structure that we use for year-round growing and we keep some of our chickens in it during the winter time. If you look closely at the front of it, at the top is a square louvered opening. The hoop house has electricity run to it and the louvers open and close automatically according to the temperature to which we have the thermostat set. Right now, it’s set at 56 degrees and I noticed yesterday that while it was 16 degrees outside, it had gotten warm enough in the hoop house that the louvers had opened.
The heating of the hoop house is entirely dependent on the sun. It works the same way as how your car heats up from the sun when it’s shining. However the hoop house is like a car that is made entirely of glass. Though ours is plastic, it’s a double layer of plastic with a fan that blows air between the layers, giving it that much added insulation.
Even with this feature of added insulation, it does lose the heat quite quickly as soon as the sun stops shining. While the temperature plummets, it still however, generally remains at least 10 degrees warmer than outside. A feature I’ve thought of adding at some point, is some sort of thermal mass that would soak up the heat during the sunny days to then slowly radiate it back out during the nighttime. Of course on cloudy days it does not heat up nearly as much.
In the summertime, as you can imagine, it becomes a steamy hothouse. For that reason it has sides that can easily roll all the way up. And the front and back also can be rolled up, as well as the louvers being open on the front and back. During the summer, we keep it completely opened almost the entire time. During spring and fall, we do a lot of rolling the sides up and down as needed.
We love our hoop house. And though right now we are having more of an issue with mice and voles than we’d prefer, it has been incredible for growing all year round, and a wonderfully cozy winter resort for our chickens.
Warm wishes from the farm,
Jean
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Written by : Jean Cavanaugh
Jean Cavanaugh is the founder and steward of Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary, established in 2019 as a living, learning community devoted to reconnecting people with the wisdom of nature, the sacred order of creation, and the presence of Christ within all life. Her work brings together spiritual formation, ecological stewardship, ancestral wisdom, and hands-on community practice.
Through years of practical work on the land, study of the Mysteries, and the healing of her own severe health challenges through natural methods, Jean has come to recognize God’s hand at work throughout creation. Her teachings, rooted in the Mystery School tradition and Christian gnosis, explore how the patterns of heaven, earth, and the human body reveal the way back to divine presence, peace, and inner strength.
Jean leads with honesty, integrity, and a deeply welcoming spirit, inviting others to let go of inherited assumptions and rediscover truth through lived experience and embodied understanding. She works with all ages—from preschoolers to elders—offering programs and celebrations that emphasize direct engagement with nature, music, story, homesteading skills, and in-person community.
She and her family live at the 21-acre Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary, where daily life reflects a commitment to simplicity, beauty, and harmony with the land. The sanctuary includes gardens, woodland trails, a seasonal creek, gathering circles, and spaces designed to nourish both people and wildlife. Jean is especially passionate about creating environments that are grounding, beautiful, and spiritually restorative.
Through her writing and teaching, Jean encourages others to know themselves, know creation, and recognize Christ as the living truth present within and around us—always inviting a return to love, beauty, and the sacred order of life.
