ATHABASCA – Shopping local has been a big topic recently; from tariff threats to concerns about the environmental impact shipping food has, people are always looking for ways to cut down on their carbon footprint.
A pair of researchers at Athabasca University alongside the team at Science Outreach – Athabasca are exploring what greenhouses could do to help the community improve its local food growth through a series a talks from experts in the field.
“This type of presentation was a really good collaboration; it brought a lot of different people to the university and there’s a lot of interest,” said Linda Lindballe, Science Outreach’s coordinator.
The March 5 talk brought Rob Avis, an engineer who specializes in greenhouse design, and Veronica Madonna, an associate professor at Athabasca University and architect to talk about the costs, options, and benefits of greenhouse technology.
More than 100 people showed up for the event, which Lindballe and organizer Mike Gismondi said demonstrated the interest Athabasca has in the project.
“People are riveted; they’ve got really great questions and they’re intrigued by the possibilities of both the local food network and perhaps some kind of passive solar greenhouse,” said Gismondi.
Avis’s portion of the presentation showcased a range of different facilities, with some being massive projects and others coming in at a lower, more affordable price tag. A common theme was the climate in Athabasca. As someone with a greenhouse in Wetaskiwin, Avis said he knows the challenges Alberta’s weather can bring.
“When we’re building a greenhouse, what we’re actually doing is we’re mimicking an ecosystem that’s not from here,” said Avis.
“If you’re growing food in this climate, you know how tough it is.”
Both presentations featured plenty of technical talk — everything from the insulation value of materials to the potential challenges with digging a subterranean greenhouse was discussed — but Avis and Madonna also talked about the day-to-day realities of greenhouses, as well as the benefits a community could gain from a similar project.
“I don’t believe that a passive solar greenhouse is a replacement for a garden — most greenhouses have about a three-year honeymoon period before you want to get divorced from it,” said Avis.
“Not only do you want a space in your backyard that replicates Mexico, but all those lovely bugs do to; after about three years those bugs start to normalize inside the greenhouse, and the solution isn’t pesticides.”
Greenhouses can also serve a strong role in a community for therapy, rehabilitation, and education. Using a Calgary school for students coming in off the street as an example, Avis said the horticultural therapy has worked wonders for students who are having troubles regulating.
“They’ve had incredible results with healing the mental wellbeing of these kids,” he said.
“They’re also in a neighbourhood with a lot of new Canadians, who are often living off the food bank. They show up at this farm and leave with 20 pounds of the most incredible organic food and tears coming off their faces.”
Intelligent design
While Avis specializes in building greenhouses, Madonna’s world is more focused on the design side. The professor isn’t a greenhouse expert, but she did talk about the importance of sustainable development, minimalizing environmental impact, and using local materials.
“We have a big responsibility when we’re designing a building to think about our impact on the earth and on our ecological systems, even in an urban setting,” said Madonna.
“We work a lot to integrate vegetation and landscape elements to cool buildings down, and to create a positive impact for our health and wellness.”
When it comes to designing greenhouses, Madonna identified four materials locals could use to bring their dreams of a backyard Mexico to life: wood, straw bale, hempcrete (a type of concrete made from hemp) and rammed earth.
The materials used are important design factors, but they also contribute to the idea of a regenerative framework, which Madonna said is about creating positive impacts socially, culturally, and ecologically
“We’re really are looking at systems that work in harmony with nature, that minimize waste and reuse resources,” she said.
An ongoing project
Dr. Mike Gismondi and Cara Shan are heading up Athabasca Grown, an initiative aimed at exploring the feasibility of passive solar greenhouses in the Athabasca region. The pair have planned out five sessions in total, and Gismondi encouraged everyone to sign up and attend, or to tune in online.
“Watching people talking to each other, it’s been great, it’s been really great,” he said.
“There’s a couple more opportunities for people to come out, and if they weren’t able to to attend they can watch the YouTube.”
The next event takes place on April 8, and will focus on the economics of the greenhouses. Gismondi said the speaker will be focusing on what people need to do to make the business end of the growing season work for a producer, and he’s hoping he can get additional info from local consumers on what they want.
In May, the session will focus on community and the local food economy, and will include a brainstorming session on how Athabascans can make projects like this work in the community.
“Food brings us all together — it’s the great leveller. The context of the world is changing, and even since we’ve started in January, people are asking what’s going on,” said Gismondi.
“Re-localizing our food system is one big step.”
