The site of Prince George’s first ever Sunflower Festival is going green.
The Foreman Farms property, which is owned and operated by Northern Lights Estate Winery, has made the decision to power the property using renewable resources in the form of solar panels. The farm, which was open to the public last summer through August and part of September to host the Sunflower Festival, boasts 40 acres of total farmland, much of which is dedicated to fruit farming.
“Sustainability is an important piece of our business,” said Northern Lights Owner Doug Bell, “Whenever we can, we’re looking to use renewable resources, prevent damage to the land when we farm, and utilize the byproducts from farming and winemaking.”
Foreman Farms is not Northern Lights’ only environmentally conscious venture. The farmland surrounding the winery itself is tended using organic fertilizers, a majority of organic-approved pesticides, and drip-tape irrigation. The effort for sustainability doesn’t stop there, Northern Lights has been a carbon-neutral company since 2018 and each year they work with Dr. Sinead Earley from UNBC to analyze and offset their carbon with the upcoming sunflower season, it’s fair to say the solar panels will be put to the test.
”It’s a tall order to power a farm with solar power, but we feel any hiccups along the way will be worth it,” said Bell.
Last year, Sunflower Festival welcomed nearly 5,000 guests to the property. The addition of solar panels this year will power the on property Bloom Cafe to provide guests with ice cream and chilled drinks and snacks. Foreman Farms will be open again to the public in late August for Sunflower Festival. For more information about Northern Lights Estate Winery or Sunflower Festival, visit their website or find them on social media.https://pgdailynews.ca/index.php/2023/05/25/northern-lights-goes-solar/
