Northern Ont. vegetable farmers win innovational contest

Northern Ont. farmer wins innovational contest Grey Wolf Gardens has won a challenge that asked farmers to come up with innovative solutions to food security issues.

First generation farmer Luke Dinan dreams of a happy and healthy life within a thriving community.

He and his wife Eva Dinan are in the process of transitioning more than 70 acres of Boreal Forest into a biodiverse farmstead in Cochrane, Ont.

As well, they operate a commercial mixed vegetable farm.

The Dinans recently competed in the 'Northern Food Security Challenge' and won the $10,000 first place prize for his innovation that extends his growing season to provide nutrient-dense food year round.

"The solution I’ve proposed is that we use wood biomass," said Luke.

"We’re in the Boreal Forest and utilizing modern cutting edge technology we can achieve very high levels of efficiency and actually be able to provide ourselves with the heat we need to grow the produce locally that’s required by our population and do it in a way that’s carbon neutral."

Challenge organizers, FedNor and Bioenterprise, which are committed to increasing innovation in the food industry, said food security is critical, especially in the north.

Luke told CTV News that he could not agree more and shared his vision for Grey Wolf Gardens.

"A generational farm, providing as much of a complete human diet as possible to as many people as possible within our local community being Cochrane, Timmins," he said.

"I’d be very interested in getting food to Moosonee and being able to provide to the James Bay Coast as well, but I don’t see any reason why we need to send food further south than Timmins and I think the north needs to be growing for the north and that’s what we fully intend to do."

Runners up in the challenge include 'Northern Sustainable Farms' in Killarney -- which runs an aquaponics facility -- and 'Ferme Agricole' in Opasatika, which uses hybrid-hydroponics to grow early season crops.

For more information on Grey Wolf Gardens and their operations, visit their Facebook page.