Future Projects & Ones We Have Tried
Innovation is one of four strategic priorities identified in our 2024-2027 Strategic Plan.
With so many new technologies and methods being developed worldwide, it can be very exciting to consider implementing here at The Forks.
Our focus is on applied real-world operational efficiencies that can reduce our ecological footprint and save money, the sweet spot where the two greens meet. The following is a list of Target Zero projects we have studied.
Wind Turbine
Studies were conducted in the past few years to use the wind in and around the site to power our buildings. After rigorous testing, they found we didn’t have enough consistent wind to make the addition. We will be examining wind “turbies” (smaller single-purpose turbines) at a later date.
Photo Voltaic Solar
How great would that be! The roof of the Forks Market covered in solar panels. We looked into the possibility of tapping into solar energy for our building. Unfortunately, the cost of creating solar electricity is too great for us to pursue at this time. A big factor in this cost is the structure needed in the roof to support the added weight of the panels.
Solar Heat
A preliminary study was commissioned to explore the technology further. Results of the study are “lukewarm”. For the time being, this is not an area we are doing research right now to see how solar heat might be able to contribute energy to our geothermal collector.
Tree Planting
Though we’ve planted over 500 trees in the last 10 years, our work isn’t done. We will continue planting in an effort to continue greening our site, providing shade, creating biodiversity and offsetting carbon. This is a very thoughtful process as the grounds we steward are remediated from an old railyard, has a lot of infrastructure to consider and were mostly planted at the same time, meaning a phased strategy is required.
Native Plants
We will be exploring the option to replace the annuals in our garden beds with native plants.
Bees
We have had honey bees on the site and used to sell the honey to offset the cost of the hives. We were unable to make this financially viable at the current moment and will focus on supporting our local pollinators through native plantings until we are able to readdress this.
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