Published Jun 09, 2025 • Last updated 13 hours ago • 3 minute readConstruction of a geothermal solar powered greenhouse for a community garden is nearing completion on Woodlawn Drive in the Municipality of Shelburne. Kathy JohnsonConstruction of a geothermal solar-powered greenhouse for a community garden is nearing completion on Woodlawn Drive in the Municipality of Shelburne.“The weather hasn’t been our friend. We had hoped to have it done by now. Hopefully by the end of June. We hope we will get something planted this summer,” says Dale Richardson, one of the directors with the Community Garden and Foodshare Association of Shelburne County, a municipal councillor, and one of the volunteers helping to build the greenhouse.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle content“Construction of the greenhouse is going very well. We’re fortunate to have a growing base of enthusiastic volunteers, and some excellent local contractors working with us,” adds project manager Henry Penn. “Community interest is growing right along with the construction progress.” Dale Richardson, one of the directors with the Community Garden and Foodshare Association of Shelburne County, volunteers his time working to build the geothermal solar powered greenhouse for a community garden on Woodlawn Drive in the Municipality of Shelburne. Kathy JohnsonThe Community Garden and Foodshare Association of Shelburne County received $142,158 through the provincial Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund to build the solar-powered greenhouse that is intended to provide fresh vegetables throughout the year to people in need and to local food banks in Shelburne County.The greenhouse will have battery storage and be able to send power back to the grid when it is not being used.Penn says the provincial funding will cover about 85 per cent of the total project value.“We’ve also received additional support through in-kind contributions from our project partners, along with other funding we’ve secured along the way,” Penn says.Article contentCoastal Grove Farm co-owner Matthew Roy is helping the volunteer non-profit association with the project.“The late John Davis, Penny Smith, myself, and a few others started this idea in 2023,” says Roy. “I have been involved in the whole process from idea to grant writing to now building the greenhouse.”Construction of the greenhouse is generating a lot of interest, Roy says.“People stop in to ask questions or vehicles slow down on the road to get a look. People have been volunteering in good numbers. Volunteers have been critical in moving the project forward. There is excitement about the opportunity that the greenhouse can offer,” he says.“There is a great opportunity for the organization to partner with the area school since the Shelburne Regional High School (SRHS) abuts the property,” he adds, saying that ideally there could be a partnership between the Tri-County Regional Centre for Education and the Community Garden Association to bring hands-on learning to the students.Article contentAs it is, the Community Garden Association has 15 raised beds for growing in the SRHS garden. Crops growing in the fall of 2024 wait to be harvested in the community garden on the grounds of the Shelburne Regional High School. The school property is adjacent to the Community Garden and Foodshare Association’s land where a geothermal solar powered greenhouse for a community garden is under construction. Kathy Johnson“High school students are already becoming a big part of it because of the gardens at the high school,” says association president Michael Kozak. “They are working on that completely. We’re hoping to expand that once we’re built, because their help would be integral in terms of planting and harvesting and distributing and maintaining. We would like as many ages and folks involved as possible. It’s food for everyone.”With the geothermal greenhouse designed with an insulated north wall at an angle, it can create growth 11 months out of the year without any supplemental lighting or heating, says Roy.The greenhouse is being built on a 2.88-acre piece of property donated to the association by the Municipality of Shelburne. A solar garden to power the greenhouse will be constructed on the property.Article contentThe Community Garden and Foodshare Association of Shelburne County hopes to continue developing the property.“We’re hoping for three more (prototype) greenhouses on that site plus an area dedicated to an Indigenous garden in the form of the medicine wheel and healing,” says Kozak. “We’d like to have a tiny cabin to be able to sell some produce as well as host events, get folks in the county familiar with just popping in because eventually my dream is it will be like a complete educational site.”Kozak adds the association is also hoping to get funding to help with accessibility, which would include building ramps and developing trails and walkways. “We want all folks from the community to come and learn about food.”Anyone wanting to become involved with the association is welcome to reach out by email at communitygardenshelburne@gmail.com, or through their Facebook page.“Everyone is welcome, regardless of their gardening experience or how much time they can contribute,” says Penn.Article content
Its food for everyone: Community garden solar-powered greenhouse nearing completion in Shelburne County
