UM builds passive solar greenhouse to grow fresh vegies year-round

From The Missoulian: Wrapped in his coat, Matt Braverman stood beside the earthen bags, his tools slung across the earthen floor. The rotting husks of summer’s garden clung to the fence – sunflowers frozen in a winter storm.

A subcontractor with Bad Goat Forest Products, Braverman was just hours away from finishing what many believe will be the first passive solar greenhouse in Missoula.

When the project is complete, Braverman will shed his winter coat and watch the greenery unfold around him, never mind the season.

“The idea is, the sun will hit the earth bags all day long and during the night, they’ll radiate back the heat and maintain a more even temperature,” said Braverman. “They’re thinking they’ll be able to use this all winter.”

Framed with sustainable Montana wood products, walled with bags of dirt and roofed with two-ply Solex panels, the greenhouse should extend the growing season by months, boosting the yield of the university’s campus garden.

A novel approach to gardening in northern climates, the project began almost accidentally. The university’s Farm to College program wanted a greenhouse, but it couldn’t cover the expenses on it own.

At the same time, members of the annual Senior Class Gift campaign were looking for a cause to commemorate UM’s 2012 graduating class. Past classes had purchased a campus bike rack, planted trees on the Oval and placed a campus map for hikers on Mount Sentinel – tough gifts to top with minimal funding.

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