The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $3 million and launching the third intake of the Agricultural Stewardship Initiative (ASI) to help farmers implement projects to improve the energy efficiency of their farming operations. To support the province’s plan to protect Ontario, this funding will help local agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products businesses across the province enhance their competitiveness, put more money back into their pockets and keep workers on the job.
The Expanded Energy Management program now provides support to commercial and institutional facilities in Ontario (including Greenhouses) to improve their energy performance with energy savings opportunities in two areas:
Funding for hiring an Energy Manager
Strategic Energy Management: Identify and implement long-term energy-saving opportunities.
Continue reading to learn more and register here for the information webinar Wednesday June 4th, 1-2pm
This post was originally written by Abigail Wiesner, Acting Greenhouse Floriculture Production Specialist.
Join Save On Energy, offered through the Independent Electricity System Operator (ISEO), for an upcoming webinar exploring the safety of battery energy storage systems on May 14th 2024 from 1:00pm to 2:00pm. Keep reading to learn how to register.
This post was originally written by Abigail Wiesner, Acting Greenhouse Floriculture Production Specialist.
Increases to non-lighting incentives this fall plus Instant Discounts program for lighting launching in December.
Updates to the Save on Energy Retrofit program‘s prescriptive incentives increase most non-lighting measures. The new incentives will come into effect on October 30, 2023.
This post was jointly written by Dr. Chevonne Dayboll and Dr. Sarah Jandricic
It’s hard to believe, but as the first snow hits the ground here in Niagara, that means its time to think about spring crops again!
This post gathers some of the most important things to plan and prep for in the greenhouse, including ordering inputs, preventative maintenance, and your pest management and PGR plans!
Think of this post as your “to-do” check list for the month of December, as the time to plan all this is NOW, before your spring production begins.
We’ve also linked to some helpful videos we’ve recorded from our GrowON webinar series that are relevant to spring crops. They’re worth a re-watch – or a first watch – if you haven’t seen them before!
This post was jointly written by Dr. Chevonne Dayboll and Dr. Sarah Jandricic
It’s time to think about spring again! This post gathers some of the most important things to plan and prep for in the greenhouse before your spring production begins in earnest.
1. Make sure your inputs are ordered
We can’t emphasize this one enough. COVID-19 and container boat issues are still causing shipping delays that are affecting many industries including greenhouses. Make sure you order potting mixes, plastic trays and pots, fertilizers, and production inputs well ahead of when you will need them. If you are planning on doing greenhouse upgrades in between seasons make sure you confirm delivery and installation timelines with your contractors. Many of them are facing delays too!
2. Now is the time for preventative maintenance
Heat loss from an older (left) and newer, more efficient boiler (right). (Photo credit: OMAFRA)
Now is a great time to schedule preventive maintenance for your boiler, irrigation and shading systems. Make sure that all motors and alarms are working before you need to rely on them. No one wants to find out that their temperature alarm failed on a cold February morning! Ensure you are getting the pressure you expect all along your irrigation system. If you rely on propane heaters for early spring production make sure they are venting properly. Damage from improper venting can present as stunted growth or leaf burn.
Take some time to inspect the greenhouse for wear-and-tear. Repair cracked poly and broken glass to keep heat from escaping. Make sure old torn energy curtains are replaced. A heat sensitive camera can help to identify areas of energy loss and help you plan for energy efficient upgrades in the future.
The OMAFRA Greenhouse Vegetable Specialist is continuing an exciting webinar series on technology in controlled environments!
This series is relevant to anyone producing in controlled environments – from vegetables, to herbs, cannabis and flowers. The second webinar tackles the use of black out curtains for light abatement in these systems, and how their use can impact plant production. Industry experts from AAFC, Hoogendoorn, Ludvig Svensson, Van der Ende Groupand360 Energy are all participating. so don’t miss the opportunity to hear from so many experts at once! This webinar covers each company’s approach to addressing challenges of production under curtain cover, and involves a panel-style discussion about integrating these systems.
Details on this installment of this webinar series can be found below.
