Passive solar greenhouses work without any fossil fuel and help grow peppers, cabbages, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.
A former geologist, Dong Jianyi has taken a scientific approach to the cultivation of cabbage, peppers, cucumbers, and other veggies at his innovative farm near Olds, Alta.
He used to work in the oil and gas sector and now has a passive solar greenhouse that provides veggies throughout the whole year. He doesn’t use any fossil fuel to maintain the veggies toasty and nice during the harsh climate of Alberta.
His Fresh Pal Farms is believed to be one of the biggest commercial passive greenhouses of this type in Alberta.
Passive Solar Green House in Freezing Canada without Fossil Fuels?
Jianyi closely graphs and follows the temperatures outside and inside the greenhouse, as well as the soil, humidity, and moisture. He also checks it up for diseases and pests. Last year, he managed to produce more than 13,000 kilos of tomatoes.
He likes agriculture a lot and finds it a very good opportunity. His tomatoes and cabbages also grew in December; this was one of the final crops before he and his team planted seedlings for the following year.
Jianyi is 40 and he came to Canada in 2014 after he quit his job at an oil company in China. He wanted a more stable future for himself and his family so he decided to make the shift to agriculture.
Passive Solar Greenhouses Are very Popular in China
According to Jianyi, these greenhouses are very popular in China, but he was curious if this would work in Alberta too. He explains that in north China, it tends to get really cold and dark in winter; however, people can grow veggies throughout the whole year.
He grew up in Tangshan, China, 150 km northeast of Beijing. This man, who never stepped foot on a farm previously, went to Canada to work for the oil and gas company and he liked the pay and work.
However, he felt that nothing belonged to him and that he could be let go by the company at any time.
The Albertan prairies seemed ideal to build a greenhouse. He spent six months learning about the model in Manitoba and also went back to China where he talked with builders, farmers, and manufacturers.
His $250,000 greenhouse kit was delivered to Canada from China in two containers. With the help of his wife, they put up the farm almost entirely on their own. The structure is impressive.
It’s east of Olds in the Mountain View County and spreads 100 meters in length, 10 meters in width, and six meters tall.
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