MINNESOTA -- Vegetable gardeners in Minnesota usually have a shorter growing season than their counterparts in the southern states.

But, thanks to a new solar-heated high tunnel system, it's possible to have those home-grown tomatoes in early June.

Dallas Flynn, owner of Forest Glenn Farm, doesn't claim to be an expert on everything.

But, there is at least one thing Dallas does well and that's grow vegetables. He says he's always been a gardener.

He took to planting off the beaten path, under solar-heated high tunnels---or green houses, about five years ago.

When they started the high tunnel research, the idea was to extend the growing season five weeks on both ends .

With a large grant from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Dallas is not only heating the air for the plants in this garage, he's heating the soil.

He uses drain tiles to capture the sun's heat and then blows it into the ground.

With a ten month growing season already underway at this farm, a yearlong one doesn't seem far off.