This immigrant from China is introducing new farming techniques to Western Canada

Immigrants have played a significant role in shaping Canada’s agricultural industry. Here’s a story from Olds, Alberta, where immigrants represent close to 10% of the population.

Jianyi Dong came to Canada as an immigrant in December 2014. In China, he was a geologist in the oil industry. “During my first two years in Canada, I was researching what I could do, and I found vegetables have a big market. Finally, I made my mind to become a vegetable farmer,” he shares.

In Northern China, where it can also get really cold, people have been using passive solar greenhouses to grow commercial vegetables, so Jianyi thought of using this technology to grow vegetables in Alberta and succeeded. He’s been able to extend the growing season and his community in Olds is grateful.

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With a conventional greenhouse, one needs something to keep it warm during the cold months, so usually, one would end up using natural gas, but a passive solar greenhouse doesn’t need that. The warmth of the sun, a bit of insulation, and thermal mass are what one would use.

Watch how Jianyi is helping Albertan farmers.

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