Innovation, technology powers Van Leeuwen Farms | Chatham Daily News
RIDGETOWN– A hog farm is a seven-day-a-week, 24-hour-a-day operation, so being efficient as possible is vital to success.Van Leeuwen Farms, located near Ridgetown, is utilizing solar-power technology and a European ventilation system that are supplying efficiency and cost savings today and into the future.These efforts have actually earned Wouter Van Leeuwen Sr. the honour of Agriculture Innovator of the Year from the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce. He will be amongst those recognized throughout the 74 th yearly Rural Urban Awards, being held virtually through the chamber’s social networks sites on Nov. 25. Van Leeuwen started using solar power at his farm in 2018. It quickly progressed into an unique system that prevents more hydro being used than needed.Since it’s unlawful for the farm operation to send excess powerback to the grid, Van Leeuwen said two years of” conceptualizing “with a solar engineer and electrical engineer took location to come up with a solution.Between the generation meter and the intake meter, he stated they utilize computer system technology that constantly keeps an eye on the power being produced.”If we’re producing excessive, the computer system gives a signal to the inverters to throttle back,”Van Leeuwen said.He doesn’t know of any other system like it in use in
Canada today.A solar system works excellent for animals operations, he stated, because the system produces more electrical power when the sun is most powerful in the summer season– and
is most needed to run the fans to keep the barns cool.An adjustment was also made to optimize the sun’s power when it’s required for the farm operation.Van Leeuwen stated solar panels are typically
placed due south, however theirs are set a little to the west so the peak power from
the sun is achieved a little later in the day since it takes time for the barns to heat up in the morning.The combination of various solar systems run by Van Leeuwen Farms generates 190 kilowatts of power.Although the sun just shines in the day, Van Leeuwen stated the farm is”basically getting rid of on-peak and mid-peak hydro, which is your most expensive hydro.” Even when it is cloudy, the system still puts an excellent damage in the expense of the operation’s on-peak and mid-peak usage, he added.Estimating he’ll see seven-or eight-year payback, Van Leeuwen said he’s”really excited about this.”The farm operation has likewise found more effective and cost-effective method to provide ventilation for their barns using a European technology that can be monitored by computer system. Wouter VanLeeuwen utilizes European innovation to offer ventilation for his household hog operation that is more efficient,
less pricey and supplies better air quality.Ellwood Shreve/Chatham Daily News/Postmedia Network jpg, CD Ventilation is supplied through roofing system fans rather of wall-mounted fans discovered in older
hog barns.Van Leeuwen stated wall fans never made sense to him, however he also found the brand-new ventilation system utilized far less hydro when he tested
it on a barn off site, He noted a newer barn on his farm uses 13 fans compared to 49 fans needed for another barn and produces much better air quality.”There’s is a lot innovation. There’s a great deal of moving parts to an operation like this,”Wouter Van Leeuwen Jr. said.He sees more technology being carried out into the family farm operation in the future.”We like doing what we’re doing and keeping things fascinating,”Van Leeuwen Jr. said, adding the prepare for the future is “simply to continue growing.”The operation has actually already experienced extraordinary development because the Van Leeuwen family moved to Ontario from the Netherlands in 2001. Having
formerly grown sugar beets, onions and potatoes, Van Leeuwen Sr. decided”to try hog farming having actually never seen a hog farm.”He stated the nearly 45-hectare(110-acre)farm the household
purchased with 200 plants has considering that grown to 1,500 to 1,600 sows, farrow to complete, and 242 hectares (600 acres)of cash crops, in addition to some customized work. The farm uses up
to 15 people.Van Leeuwen Farms is likewise part of the Conestoga Meat Packers co-operative of 170 household farms that ship meat to global markets including Japan, China and Mexico.