WinterGreen
Helping to solve food inaccessibility in Canada’s Northern-most communities
The Project
Fresh food is extremely scarce in Northern communities in Canada, with harsh weather and physical isolation from warmer parts of the world. UMEarth has used the WinterGreen project as a proof of concept to help solve this important problem.
In 2018, members of UMEarth converted a 23’ long shipping container into a large growth chamber, designed to grow plants in remote and frigid conditions.
In 2022-2023, UMEarth plans to build on the progress of the project by implementing hydroponics, increasing automation and improving crop yields. We will be exploring the environmental and efficiency impacts of different growth mediums and lighting options.
With the help of the Student Energy Chapter at the University of Manitoba (SEUM) , we will be improving the chamber insulation as well as the temperature and humidity controls. They will be designing and implementing a solar heating system.
Progress
The UMEarth and SEUM teams have been working to demolish the old framing in the shipping container in order to retrofit the insulation , temperature and humidity systems.