ACEP Intern Finds New Experiences in Researching Greenhouses
Fuel prices and cost of food are on the rise, threatening ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ communities’ energy and food independence. With a short agricultural growing season, much of ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ’s food is imported and relies on long supply chains from the Lower 48. By increasing the availability of local foods throughout the year, ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æns can regain their food autonomy.
Summer and recent University of ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ Fairbanks mechanical engineering graduate Mori Hays is looking at ways to do this through strategizing designs of greenhouses that run throughout the year and grow fresh produce for ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ communities. His project involves researching issues related to integrating renewables into greenhouses and gaining hands-on technical experience with design and construction of research infrastructure.
Hays and his mentor, Daisy Huang, recently traveled to , a nonprofit educational farm located on the outskirts of Fairbanks, to learn about how farmers operate greenhouses in ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ. During their visit, they met with Calypso Farm and Ecology Center co-founder Tom Zimmer.
During a farm tour, Zimmer showed Hays and Huang the extended season greenhouse, which uses a combination of large black containers that act as heat storage, a wood fuel stove and a solar panel to power a system that circulates warm air in cold weather. All of these features contribute to keeping plants alive during the cold spring months. Zimmer described the task of keeping a greenhouse running in the cold as a “challenge.â€
Throughout ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ, dozens of greenhouses run throughout the year and are powered by a variety of sources, including biomass, geothermal, wind and solar. Hays plans to interview operators of these greenhouse operations.
Is there a community greenhouse in your ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ community worth investigating? If so, please email Mori Hays at mehays2@alaska.edu.
Mori’s project is funded by the . For more information on the internship program, please contact Jeff Fisher at jsfisher3@alaska.edu.