Cochrane's very own mobile greenhouse is set to make its debut at a launch event at the BGC April 23.
The Passive Solar Roller, an eight-foot-by-16-foot portable greenhouse, which demonstrates passive solar design as of way of sustainably extending the growing season, is the brainchild of Cultivate Cochrane — a non-profit society dedicated to growing a resilient and connected community through food, innovation and lifestyle empowerment.
Construction of the solar roller has been in the capable hands of OnGrowing Works for the last four months, and this week, the final touches are being made to prepare for its reveal to the public.
"This is going to be an unveiling of the mobile greenhouse," said Cultivate Cochrane director Jackie Skrypnek. "We're gonna have lots of our partners there with information booths ... and we're gonna have giveaways and activities for everyone."
There will also be third-party gardening and sustainability service groups present at the event, which is intended to be like a community growing fair to kick off the spring growing season.
There will be tours of the greenhouse, which will have some recent tomato, herb and bean seedlings planted — among other heat-loving plants — as well as a seed exchange.
The BGC is just one of Cultivate Cochrane's programming partners. Through the BGC, the group will be delivering programs to the youth they serve.
"We'll be doing this through their out-of-school care program, their Kindercare program, as well as some of their team programs," said Cultivate Cochrane president Julie Fisher Falconer, who added the BGC has been kind enough to offer their space to eliminate some costs.
"Through our programming, we really focus on education for children and youth," she said. "We're really hoping that we can illustrate and demonstrate through these hands-on, really experiential opportunities, that gardening is a really valuable skill and enjoyable and beneficial for not only our physical health, but our mental health as well."
With respect to food prices, Fisher Falconer said the greenhouse will provide a "grounding and foundational opportunity" for families to combat inflationary challenges through their newfound or expanded knowledge of gardening.
"The cost and the kind of precarity of getting food from elsewhere, combined with our difficult climate ... some people have maybe sort of lost that knowledge around food growing," said Skrypnek.
"We hope to offer some insight into that whole piece around food security, affordability, and just the skills and knowledge of how to get healthy food, and beyond the growing aspect, how to eat healthy and prepare it."
In addition to the BGC, Cultivate Cochrane has plans to offer programming through organizations such as the Cochrane Public Library, the Family Resource Network, and Seniors for Kids.
Their focus is on the launch right now, but the non-profit hopes to eventually also offer programming through schools in the community, Stepping Stones for Mental Health, and to make periodic appearances at the Cochrane Farmer's Market.
The greenhouse will not have a huge amount of food coming out, but what is left after being picked off for tasting and for recipe programming will be donated to the Helping Hands Society of Cochrane and Area's free food sheds.
The Passive Solar Roller launch event will take place at the BGC, both outside and inside, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and all are welcome to attend at no cost.
