We operate a small vineyard…

We operate a small vineyard. The new Economic Development Zone appears to be geared towards benefiting small and large projects or properties. We are changing our irrigation system to wtar our vineyard. We do not exceed the 50,000 l per day MOE limits and have been good environmental steward of our property for many generations . The farm /vineyard is proposing changing the standard drip line above ground system to a new highly advanced irrigation system just invented in the US.

That system is called "sub irrigation" and involves feeding a farms irrigation system by tapping into the highest point in a properties water table then allowing by sheer gravity the fields to be irrigated at the root level (not from above) . The US is also testing this subirrigation system using run-off storm water collection ponds or road drainage ditches that just percolate water runoff into the ground. The reason we are going to implement and demonstrate this system is one of the possible huge positive environmental impacts, less water usage, and higher crop yields. This is already proven have been and has been demonstrated at "test sites" in the US but more research is still ongoing. The system we will install will hopefully work completely without pumps or electricity and will use capillary rise from the soil profile. To make this more simple , it is like how a tree gets water from its roots to the top branches. We have in-house/in the family luckily a Mechanical Engineer to ensure the piping and control structures work. The control structures are simply corrugated pipes about 1 meter in dameter sunk upright 1- 2 M into the ground spaced about 5- 10 meters apart. Its really that simple and environmentally friendly. We hope to take irrigation to another level through a demonstration project funded this privately as is the current plan. Alternatively ,if the Economic Development Zone Funding or another Program can give us a grant we would of course welcome it and send/publish the results to the Ontario "Better Framing" magazine or whatever reporting system will be set up for the approved and Ministry funded Projects in the Special Economic Zone .

The test sites in the US have seen a crop yield increases , as the water irrigation by "sub irrigation" is not lost to evaporation by traditional above ground irrigation systems which is now how every farm operates in Ontario. We think we have something special to contribute to Ontario as a family legacy and this we think will be it. No special permits are required as we will use the normal tile drainage installation methods and good farming practices but use the newly invented sub irrigation system as a demo project.