Farm Energy News: Greenhouse Technology
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at 11:44PM 
As part of the Regional Food and Fuels project with the Santa Fe Alliance, I've been visiting some of the greenhouses in the area to study the potential to grow food year round in commercial quantitites in Northern New Mexico. Some of the setups are downright impressive, but every one I visited needed help. Either the controls don't work properly, or they leak and need lots of supplemental heat to work in cold weather.
I'm wanting to start a Winter Farming Cooperative that enables farmers that want greenhouses to finance them by selling shares of the produce they will grow in them, just like with a CSA. Only I'd like to see dozens of farmers pool their output in solidarity, so the risk and rewards could be spread over a wider base of farms.
Send me an email if you'd like to follow this effort.
Reader Comments (3)
Hello. I am very interested in your program. I have acres of land where I can put greenhouses but do not have the means to build one at this time. I do have great passion for honoring this great home we call earth by lowering my carbon footprint in numerous ways. One of which is growing my own peas, strawberries and such since I was young. I know the great importance in this effort and am willing to help out in any way possible. I do own a business in Las Vegas, NM called Wonder-Works. We offer marketing advice for small business's and non-profit organizations, advertising (magazines, radio, newspaper, etc.), graphic design (branding, publishing, top of the line), eco-printing (recycled paper and soy based ink;large scale & quantity), signs (light up, banners, plastic, vinyl, etc.). Let me know if I can help you in any way I am part of the barter system and also love to provide a great service rather than make money.
Mark this is grand idea! Sign me up! I have some land to put a greenhouse or two on and would love to start producing winter greens etc. We need a bank to do the lending necessary to make this happen.
Carl