CBU going green with new garden facility.
Carbon-neutral greenhouse facility coming to Cape Breton University
SYDNEY — A fully automated greenhouse will be developed at Cape Breton University to produce a variety of herbs and leafy greens from the planting process right through to harvest.
The carbon-neutral facility will be a first for Cape Breton and be focused on addressing food security.
The university and Via-Talenta Group announced their collaboration this week that will bring the research and development facilities known as Turtle Greens Ltd. to Cape Breton. The partnership will see a one-hectare, state-of-the-art, sustainable greenhouse on established a recently acquired plot adjacent to CBU.
“I am pleased that VTG has chosen our island to build this significant piece of infrastructure that will increase food security, create jobs, and provide educational opportunities to our community and educational partners,” said David Dingwall, president and vice-chancellor of CBU in a press release.
As part of the development, VivaTalenta and CBU will create a research chair in sustainability and precision agriculture, to leverage ViaTalenta Group’s international network of knowledge and applied research.
The greenhouse is part of VivaTalenta’s response to the COVID19 pandemic, which has intensified the need for distributed food supply chains, competition for jobs and increased the skills requirements.
The new unit at CBU will help students acquire skills to address food security and the climate crisis. This includes exploring advanced sustainable agricultural practices using the latest advances in technology, acquiring practical experience and gaining an understanding of plant science and its impact on sustainable production, nutrition and health.
“When VTG invests, it does so in a comprehensive manner to ensure that the impact is generated across a theme. Food security, education and economic development are at the heart of our activities in the Atlantic region and this pilot is one of many to come,” said Georgio Pauen, CEO of ViaTalenta Group, in a press release.
The federal government is providing a $2.5 million repayable contribution through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency toward the sustainable greenhouse and advanced manufacturing equipment to support the new partnership between CBU and VivaTalenta Group.
Nova Scotia Business Inc., the province’s business development agency, has also approved a payroll rebate for the company of up to $846,825 over five years to support the creation of up to 60 jobs at the operation.
VivaTalenta is based in Switzerland with offices in Canada. ViaTalenta Group Ltd. and its operating references itself as a family office for impact investment and sustainability.
Its Cape Breton greenhouse operations are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2022. The pilot will be the first of several VivaTalenta is involved in across Canada.