Federal investment fuels expansion of bio-waste heat for greenhouse

The federal government is putting up more than $700,000 to help a P.E.I. organic produce farm heat its greenhouses with renewable energy, according to federal government news release.

Federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau was at Schurman Family Farm in Kensington to make the announcement Thursday.

"This first-of-its-kind technology to be installed in North America is a terrific example of how producers from coast to coast are looking to grow greener," Bibeau said in the written release.

"This project showcases how the ingenuity of our farm families in adopting new technologies can help Canada be a leader on sustainable farming."

Schurman Family Farm markets organic produce through Atlantic Grown Organics. That company has been using waste bio-products as fuel to heat its greenhouses, including waste from a local oilseed processing plant.

But they have been supplementing that heat with fuel oil. This investment will allow for the purchase a new, 100 per cent renewable boiler system.

"Greenhouses in our Canadian climate need a lot of energy and most greenhouses in Canada use fossil fuels for heat," said Atlantic Grown Organics owner Marc Schurman.

"Being able to grow local organic vegetables in a green way is certainly rewarding."

Schurmansaid testing new technology is risky, and the federal funding was essential in lowering that risk for his company.

More from CBC P.E.I.