Entrepreneur: Dan McGinnis
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dea: Thunderbird Farms, An Integrated Permaculture Farm on the Blood Reserve The need: Dan’s story is unique, as it
was based not only on a great idea, but also on necessity after a grass fire destroyed his family home and business back in 2012. Located on Blood Tribe land in Southern Alberta, Dan and family and friends not only rebuilt their home but have built a self-sustaining aquaculture farm. With a desire to live off the land, in the most environmentally conscious way possible, Thunderbird Farms has been a vast undertaking – especially considering the climate on the bald prairies. Dan’s ultimate goal is to build a social enterprise entity where all involved would receive a liveable wage, provide farm fresh food to the community, and showcase a fresh ideology and considerations globally when it comes to food production and supply. Technology: Thunderbird Farms is a
big proponent of alternative energy resources. According to Dan, it is two-fold as it helps them leave little to no carbon footprint and is also a way to deliver power needed to run the farm in a more cost-effective manner. The use of solar and wind power allows for Thunderbird Farms to strive during the warm, sunny days and bank energy stored through battery cells when days of sunshine are sparse. This energy is used not only to run the farm, but also to power the home he lives in and, according to McGinnis, having to only pay for phone and internet helps him use funds for other areas of the farm. One of the biggest topics that excites Dan is the use of Blockchain and Machine Learning moving forward. Having the ability to utilize the smart contracts and traceability that Blockchain can offer will ultimately be a cost- effective way to operate his business. Machine Learning will hopefully work as a matchmaker in helping to get the product that is most ready to the customer demanding it in as close to real time as possible. Validation: Some of the best validation for the idea of a permaculture farm have
The very first Net-Zero home on the Blood Reserve with a grid tied 5 KW solar system.
been realized though the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the early stages of the pandemic, when foods were not on grocery store shelves and when disruptions in the supply chain was occurring, Dan realized that the need for his idea, and more-so food supply in general, could happen sooner rather than later. The ability to produce, supply, and share their own vegetables, meat, and poultry would prepare his family if the pandemic worsened or any further breakdowns in the supply chain were to occur. Partnership: Dan has worked on numerous partnerships for this endeavour over his time as an entrepreneur. He has taken part in the Chinook Entrepreneur Challenge and out of networking from that event has been able to make key relationships in the entrepreneur and business eco-system in Southern Alberta. Through RINSA (Regional Innovation Network of Southern Alberta) he was able to secure funding which allowed him to purchase copper wiring, which is expensive but crucial for the success of the farm.
15 • Lethbridge ENTREPRENEURS
The goal of the dome is to be able to generate it’s own power, and be heated cheaply with the ultimate goal of year round food production on a small scale.
www.thunderbirdfarms.ca @
Thunderbird.Farms
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