Calgary greenhouse to be built this spring expects to provide thousands of pounds of fresh food year-round
The city of Calgary has a short growing season with its unpredictable climate, but a new year-round greenhouse being built this spring hopes to change that with a community-based food system.
Highfield Farm, located in southeast Calgary, received $277,000 in funding through the Local Food Infrastructure Fund, delivered by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
The money will go towards building a greenhouse on site that will give Calgarians a local urban farming hub to grow nutrient dense food while also providing a community gathering space.
“If you garden in Calgary, you know the season is pretty late with the end of May or first week of June being the best time to plant and then we of course usually get frost in September,” said Heather Ramshaw, operations manager at Highfield Farm.
“So being able to have this greenhouse for those extreme weather events is going to provide a big space where we can start seedlings, which means we can get plants out earlier in the spring.”
Highfield Farm currently has 15,000 square feet of garden space and more than 200 members who volunteer their time to garden and harvest fresh produce for food access organizations like the Calgary Food Bank and the Mustard Seed.
More than 2,000 pounds of food was harvested last year with 98 per cent going to charitable organizations in need.
“We should easily be able to quadruple that amount of food harvested for now with this greenhouse,” said Ramshaw.
“We're hoping this year and over the years to kind of develop our sales channels, if possible, to try and cover some of the costs of growing the food as well, but we're very happy to be able to provide fresh, whole local foods to food access organizations.”
Communications manager with the Calgary Food Bank, Shawna Ogston, says receiving fresh donations of food is always best.
“This greenhouse will ensure that we can get quality nutritious items into our hampers and for Calgarians experiencing food crises so this donation will go a long way,” she said.
“Especially in the fall when the harvest comes along this will now allow a place for canned items and for canning this fresh food so we’re excited to see what happens.”
George Chahal, the MP for Calgary Skyview, adds that this initiative will serve as a benchmark for future growing and composting technologies.
“In Canada, no one should have to go hungry,” he said.
“Strengthening food security for our most vulnerable populations is more important than ever. With support from the Local Food Infrastructure Fund through the Compost Council of Canada, Highfield Farm will be better able to provide fresh, nutritious food for families when they need it most.”
Installation of the greenhouse is expected to be completed by April in time to support the growing of seedlings for this year’s outdoor growing season.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Questlove was not happy with Drake and Kendrick Lamar's beef: 'Nobody won the war'
While some may have been excited and/or amused by the diss-track feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, the man many consider to be an elder statesman of hip-hop appears less than enthused about it.
Trump heading to Jersey Shore to rally 'mega crowd' in weekend break from hush money trial
After a long week in court, Donald Trump is heading to the Jersey Shore. And his campaign says he'll be joined by "tens of thousands" of his friends.
For moms-to-be, it's possible to take maternity leave without breaking the bank
Pregnancy is often an exciting and anxious time for parents-to-be. And while painting the nursery and choosing a stroller are typically on the agenda, experts say preparing financially for a maternity leave can help reduce stress later on as well.
Fine dining, at a new high. A Michelin-starred chef will take his cuisine to our upper atmosphere
Six guests are set to ascend aboard Spaceship Neptune to the stratosphere, where they will enjoy an immersive dining experience served up by Danish Michelin-starred chef Rasmus Munk.