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Peggy Bailey and Eric Blondin operate Three Forks Farms, a certified organic operation producing vegetables
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poultry, and garden seeds on Manitoulin Island, Canada. In 2021, the Sustainable New Agri-Food Products
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and Productivity Program, SNAP, helped Eric and Peggy buy a 30-foot by 120-foot
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high-tunnel greenhouse with the aim of boosting production of multiple crops, including tomatoes and cucumbers
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for retail and wholesale customers on Manitoulin and the surrounding area. ��
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So we have engaged in holistic management, which is a philosophy around a triple bottom line farm
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So it's about balancing those things between finance, the people, and then also the environment
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All of our decision-making is about balancing those three things. And I think that having the greenhouse is a key part of that
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So we're able to extend our season. We're able to like maximize our square footage
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and increase our yields per square foot and produce more food than we would be able to otherwise
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This really large greenhouse that we got through the SNAP program is one of the keystone parts
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of being able to produce for longer in the year. That greenhouse is producing product
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for 10 months of the year. We start every season off with really cold, hardy crops
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Then we harvest those, and then we go into cucumbers or tomatoes, and then we move into more cold, hardy crops
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that'll take us right into January. ♪ This is one of the first large-scale
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food production greenhouses on Manitoulin, and it extends the production season to a full 10 months of each year
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This has allowed Three Forks to hire workers, including seasonal employees, as the workload requires
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More than anything, Peggy and Eric have a passion for producing great organic food
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for people who care about what they eat, and the greenhouse is a big help
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moving the local community closer to food self-reliance. The Three Forks greenhouse is an example
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of how appropriate technology can be used to effectively move Northern Ontario south
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many hundreds of kilometres in terms of season length and growing intensity
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The greenhouse is made by Multi-Shelter Solutions and includes double-wall plastic with a pressurized air space between layers
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for maximum insulation and energy efficiency. This lets the greenhouse maintain warmer temperatures
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extending the production season and the reliability of crops. The greenhouse is 21 feet tall
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and this extra height actually helps with heating and energy efficiency. The taller the space
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the more warm air can be stored from the day for nighttime
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Peggy and Eric have divided the greenhouse into eight different beds, each of which grow three crops each year
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First up are early-season cold, hardy greens. In the summer, heat-loving vining fruits become the focus
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including tomatoes and cucumbers. Autumn involves more cold, hardy greens as temperatures and sunlight intensity declines
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Peggy and Eric grow all crops right in the natural soil at the floor of the greenhouse
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with drip irrigation to maximize watering efficiency and to keep foliage dry and disease-free
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Agricultural success relies on innovation like never before, innovation used by skilled food producers
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who understand its value and can make the most of it. Like this big, productive greenhouse
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feeding hundreds of people, miles all around from Three Forks Farms
