Read the Greenhouse, Covered and Year Round Agriculture Program Summary
KEY PROJECT OUTCOMES:
Sustainability analysis tools and framework for businesses: Economic/Environmental
SYRA Final Report (2020); new research and data from field demonstrations
Four demonstration greenhouses developed for testing novel approaches to heating and production
Buxton, Maine. 144 x 45 ft, PV Integrated, Insulated Year Round, Soil-based production in raised beds. Features: hydronic radiant root zone heating, PCM heat storage, roof integrated solar-electric collectors.
Waldoboro, Maine. 55 x 50 ft, Solar Electric + Heater w/ Indoor Ridge/Purlin Duct Venting. Features: Insulated north wall, Powerwise Remote Monitoring System
Brunswick, Maine. Rooftop Hydroponic and aquaponic, multiuse downtown facility. Features: Storefront and test kitchen, basement aquaponics tanks and pumping system, tomato/hot house room.
New Gloucester, Maine. Sensor and supplemental lighting test site for vegetable production. Features: LED supplemental lamps for basil, lettuce, and chard, tomato, environmental sensor arrays system.
2018 Greenhouse Producer Survey
We collaborated with the Mid Maine Greenhouse Growers Association to survey over 30 greenhouse producers around the state. Results of the survey are linked here.We plan to conduct a new round of surveys to increase participation from more producers in Winter 2021.
(Screenshot of ME SAS Greenhouse Producer Survey showing varieties of greenhouse heating and insulation systems currently in use on commercial farms)
Maine Agriculture Apps; Low Cost Bio-sensor/AI Development Pilot Program in Colloaboration with the University of Maine
ME SAS Twilight Farm Tours and Public Demonstrations (Images)
MESAS hosts occasional tours of commercial farms demonstrating year round production infrastructure. Images below feature system during construction and trial phases of the project.
- Pellet fuel boilers were installed at a demonstration farm with mixed success.
- 2 Kedel 140,000 Btu boilers were great but servicing and maintenence on the units was not difficult for HVAC professionals, as parts are not accesbile and currently too expensive to ship.
- Exhaust pipes for passive ground heat ducts.
- These protoype ridge vents cool a house in summer and provide a temperature boost from in winter using only small fans and ground heat.
- ME SAS’ 2018 Twilight Farm Tours brought engineers, farmers, southern Maine food distributors, Cooperative Extension and college classrooms to four year round vegetable farms that participated in our research and demonstration program. (Photo courtesy: Melissa Winne 2018)
- Higher tech systems tend to help automate utilities such as ventilation, fertility but remain too expensive for most businesses. (Photo: Eliza Bennet)
- Prototype, low cost sensor arrays help track soil and climate conditions such as DLI, relative humidity, air temp, and soil temp a varying depths – tracking soil temps is critical for radiant heat. (Photo credit: Eliza Bennet)
- Winter season Rainbow Chard grown for Rosemont Markets in Southern Maine (2019)
- A Trombe-styled south wall can be an effective passive solar heat trap and reduce carbon fuel source heating significantly. This image shows a hybrid passive heating/active PV electric solar collector.
This short video summarizes the project and its background as an applied research program on working Maine farms. (Produced by Galen Koch, 2017.)
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR PROGRAM NEWS AND LIVE UPDATES
Current News and Events:
Presentation on lessons and next steps for ME SAS’ Agriculture Infrastructure and Greenhouse demonstration program.
Join ME SAS Education Director, Bill Giordano at 4pm this Thursday, Janurary 13th for virtual discussion and presentation about lessons and next steps from ME SAS' Sustainable Year Round Agriculture demonstrations. The event is hosted by the Blue Hill Heritage Trust...
BLUE HILL EVENT POST-PONED
Unfortunately, MESAS' event originally schedule to take place today at the Blue Hill Library in being post-poned. We look forward to announcing a new outdoor gathering date for this event along with news about our climate battery and ground to air greenhouse heaters...
MESAS SUMMER ’21 EVENT INFO and UPDATES
SUMMER 2021 Event Info and Updates + "Tips From the Field: Year round Farm Infrastructure" Video! image: Broad Turn Farm high tunnels, Scarborough , Maine NEWSLETTER: 2021 ME SAS' Summer e-newsletter announcement NEW VIDEO: "TIPS FROM THE FIELD: Year round food...
MESAS SUMMER 2021 NEWSLETTER; Twilight Tour Schedule + New Video Launch!!!
Updates and on the ground work from the Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society! Click here to view the newsletter . https://youtu.be/lvkLPnscBU8 This past winter our Greenhouse and Ag Infrastructure Improvement Program developed a video: "From the Field; Year round...
NEW Fact Sheets for Maine Greenhouse and Agriculture Infrastructure Improvement
Please view the latest new on fact sheet releases here or click on the illustration below:

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MAINE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE SOCIETY
MESAS is a farmer-led nonprofit organization that that developes resources to help farms in Maine achieve a triple bottom line of PROFITABLITY, HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS, and STRONG COMMUNITIES. We work for the benefit of farms across all scales of operation and production methods.