Published 8:34 am Thursday, September 10, 2026
By Carolyn Grant/Creston Valley Advance
The Columbia Basin Trust is investing in solar panels and resilient crop trials for primary producers in the Kootenays.
Funding is through the CBT’s Farm Solar and Resilient Food Crops granting programs.
Farm Solar grants help food producers install solar panel arrays on the ground and on farm buildings to power their operations. By lowering energy costs for heating, cooling and running systems like irrigation, these grants help make local food production more affordable for producers and consumers.
The Resilient Food Crops program supports food producers to trial and transition to crop varieties that may be better able to grow in a shifting climate. Diversifying food production through crop varieties that are not widely grown in a producer’s local area will help make the Basin’s food system more resilient and reliable.
In this first intake, eight farms will install solar arrays and four producers will plant and test trial crops.
One of the solar fund recipients is Honey Bee Zen in Wynndel. The Apiary manages about 600 beehive colonies ], producing honey under the Honey Bee Zen and Swan Valley brands, which supply about 40 stores. Solar panels will be place on two of the farm’s during the June and October.
“Solar power for our honey house will be a real benefit for us, especially as we use the most electricity during extraction and production,” said Amanda Goodman Lee, owner of Honey Bee Zen Apiaries with her partner Jeff Lee. “Just as bees harnes
Located in Windermere, Edible Acres Farm is a family-owned and operated farm that produces over 55 varieties of fruits and vegetables for the local community, including berries.
To diversify its local food production, Edible Acres Farm has begun growing hardy strawberry varieties, a crop that is not currently grown at scale in the Columbia Valley. With support from the Trust’s Resilient Food Crops program, owners Lin and Oliver Egan will continue to trial varieties and determine what inputs work best for food production.
“Strawberries are a crop that can be easily preserved and enjoyed year-round when harvested at peak ripeness,” said Lin Egan. “By experimenting with different mulches, row covers, irrigation methods and crop varieties, we are happy with the results this season and excited to see what next spring brings.”
s the sun to navigate, we harness its energy to power our operations.”
“People in the Basin rely on local farms, growers and producers for healthy, nutritious food,” said Justine Cohen, Senior Manager, Special Initiatives with Columbia Basin Trust in a media release. “By helping farms, ranches and other local food producers remain affordable, these projects will help keep local communities nourished and Basin food production innovative and thriving.”
Also receiving funding for solar energy are:
Apple Quill Farm in Wycliffe – $14,70
Cartwheel Farm in Erickson – $16,400
Comer Veggies in Jaffray – $29,900
Cutter Ranch in Fort Steele – $117,400
Just A Mere Farm in Erickson – $5,200
Thistle Farm in Wynndel – $35,300
Zehnder Farms in Invermere – $45,200
Crop testing grants go to:
Columbia Wetlands Outpost in Parson – $20,000 for trial of a resilient asparagus crop
Apple Quill Farm in Wycliffe – $9,600 for trial of a resilient black raspberry crop
Edible Acres Farm in Windermere – $22,100 for trial of resilient strawberry crop
Swan Valley Farms in Wynndel – $16,400 for trial of a resilient huckleberry crop

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