The Northeast Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (RSDP) and Organic Consumers Association will host a public open house at the first deep winter greenhouse to finish construction.
The open house will be from 1 to 4 p.m., Feb. 18 at the Organic Consumers Association, 6771 South Silver Hill Drive in Finland. The event includes deep winter greenhouse presentations at 1 p.m., a 1:30 p.m. ribbon cutting and tour and self-guided tours and a question-and-answer period starting at 2 p.m. The event is free. RSVPs are requested to Greg Schweser, director of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems at RSDP, a part of the University of Minnesota Extension, at [email protected].
Throughout Minnesota, the RSDPs are working with producers and community groups to test a prototype design of these passive solar greenhouses, which allow farmers to grow produce through the winter. This structure contains a south-facing wall designed to capture the maximum amount of solar energy. Stored heat dissipates into the air above creating an environment particularly well-suited to grow crops that thrive in low-light and low-heat conditions.
“Deep winter greenhouses represent a future of local foods that will come from innovations to expand markets and the production season,” Schweser said.
RSDP provides information and resources on deep winter greenhouses on its resource page: http://z.umn.edu/1c5h
Support for this project has been provided by the University of Minnesota Extension, MnDRIVE Global Food Ventures, University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment and a consortium of agriculture lending banks.
For more news from U of M Extension, visit www.extension.umn.edu/news or contact Extension Communications at [email protected].
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