Clifford Welsh – Local Journalism Initiative
LITCHFIELD – Pontiac food producers attracted the attention of government representatives and federal farm assistance organizations during Farm Safety Week. On March 12, Pontiac MP Sophie Chatel, MRC Pontiac Warden Jane Toller and Farm Credit Canada representative Carole-Anne Nadeau toured Bryson Farms and the new greenhouse project Jean Zhang, a local businessman and Bryson councillor, is pursuing behind the Ultramar gas bar.
Zhang and his nephew Ryan, with the help of local labour, have been working for the last two years on the greenhouse. Zhang adapted the 50’ x 200’ Chinese-designed passive solar building using as many local materials and workers as possible. He’s also experimenting with a system of compost-generated heat for the cooler months using European technology called Biomeiler with the help of Cathy Fox, a Bryson resident and composting advocate.
A Chinese passive solar greenhouse provides constant, year-round temperatures, naturally and passively, with little reliance on the heating and cooling systems seen in many conventional greenhouses. Originally designed in China to feed millions of people, the design cleverly uses nature itself to produce the ingredients to fuel the inside of the greenhouse with minimal effort – even in the winter. The earthen mound on the back wall absorbs heat from the sun and radiates it into the building and the retractable tarpaulin can be rolled down at night to retain accumulated heat from the daylight hours.
Chatel explained how it’s critical that Canada increase food production as increasing pressures on US food production due to climate change and water issues make America less reliable as a source of import.
Stuart Collins of Bryson Farms hopes federal representatives can assist in attracting foreign seasonal workers to fill the gap in the local labour force.
Joanne Labadie, Chatel’s assistant, noted municipalities need to create local infrastructure through the TECQ (gas tax) grant to facilitate housing for foreign workers.
Canadian Agricultural Safety Week (CASW) is a public awareness campaign focusing on the importance of farm safety. It takes place every year during the third week of March; this year from March 10 to 16.