Question 1

Why does CEG claim "system innovations"?

Accepted Answer

A system is an organized group of interacting, interdependent, or interrelated elements that work together as a complex whole to achieve a specific purpose.  In CEG's case, these elements work together to achieve Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and to meet or exceed Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) requirements.

Of course, all commercial greenhouse are systems.  CEG's system is innovative because it relies mostly on clean energy, such as solar, to heat, cool, run electrical pumps, evaporative coolers, circulating fans, and electronic monitoring and control equipment.

We're not claiming CEG has invented these elements.  We're claiming that, in the commercial domain, CEG has uniquely, circa 2026, combined these elements in a way conventional commercial greenhouses have not.

Hence, at this point in time, CEG offers innovative clean-energy greenhouses to small farms at reduced overall cost and potential increased profitability.

Question 2

I’m a small family farm. Is this type of solar greenhouse really meant for farms like mine, or only big operations?

Accepted Answer

CEG solar-powered greenhouses are designed first for small and family farms, not just large agribusiness. The structure, energy systems, and price point are all aimed at farms that want to grow more, cut fuel and power bills, and reduce risk from weather—without building a multi-million‑dollar facility.

Question 3

What is the current adoption rate of sustainable farming practices in Canada, particularly among family farms?

Accepted Answer

According to Statistics Canada, the family farm adoption rate of sustainable farming methods is 65%. However, while Clean Energy Greenhouses (CEG) solutions support sustainable agriculture, as well as sustainable energy use and reduced negative environmental impact, CEG is not solely focused on sustainable farming per se. Sustainable farming/agriculture is more about crop rotation, soil rest and amendment, integrated pest management, and so on.

CEG is addressing Climate Smart Agriculture as applied to the Controlled Environment Agriculture industry, which is essentially greenhouses, box farms, and indoor vertical farming.
International organizations, including the World Bank, United Nations, the International Finance Corporation, and the Royal Bank of Canada, to name just a few, all use Climate-Smart Agriculture to mean focusing on three main goals:
Increased productivity (sustainably intensifying agriculture)
Enhanced resilience (adapting to climate change)
Reduced emissions (mitigating greenhouse gas emissions)

Question 4

Out of 189,874 registered Canadian family farms, how many of those are currently involved in greenhouse production?

Accepted Answer

According to Statistics Canada, about 8% of family farms are currently involved in greenhouse production. An estimated 3.8% of these family farms are not small farms, and they use large-scale commercial greenhouses with a minimum construction cost of about USD $1.0 million per acre. The Royal Bank of Canada’s October 2024 issue indicates that the greenhouse category growth in Canada is about 9% per year.

Of the 189,874 family farms, 108,000 produce crops. Of these, 23,288 produce vegetable, berry, cannabis, and ornamental crops—all potential greenhouse crops. Only an estimated 4.2% of small family farms use greenhouses for production (and they aren’t clean-energy greenhouses).

Question 5

As a soil farmer, I don't know anything about Hydroponics and Aquaculture

Accepted Answer

Yes, we have relied on soil-based farming and irrigation for millenia.  Because of climate change and consequent rising population, temperatures and flooding, along with reduction of arable land and water for irrigation, we are compelled to choose new agricultural methods.  That is, greenhouse farming which also encourages the use of new agricultural methods.

CEG understands that this new method of farming is a radical transition from what we are familiar with.

This is why CEG has partnered with experts in hydroponics, aquaponics, solar energy, and more. These experts offer educational programs that assist you in adopting this new method of farming. Moreover, these educational programs are bundled with your first purchase of a hydroponic or an aquaponic or an agrivoltaic system.

CEG also offers the possibility of soil-based farming in our greenhouses, so you can gracefully adapt to greenhouse farming using expertise you already have. You can put the new stuff on hold, and you will nonetheless benefit from lower natural gas, electric, and pesticide costs.  And, if you adopt soil-based Hugulkultur techniques, which CEG recommends, you will also experience a reduction of water use.

Small Farm Q&A

Why does CEG claim "system innovations"?

I’m a small family farm. Is this type of solar greenhouse really meant for farms like mine, or only big operations?

What is the current adoption rate of sustainable farming practices in Canada, particularly among family farms?

Out of 189,874 registered Canadian family farms, how many of those are currently involved in greenhouse production?

As a soil farmer, I don't know anything about Hydroponics and Aquaculture