Jac and Jose Hoppenbrouwers are living a lifelong dream fully off-grid.
The Innisfail-area residents own White Creek Meats, located off Rge. Rd. 25. The business sells naturally fed bison, beef, chicken, turkey and pork to customers from Edmonton to Calgary throughout the year. Their product is popular but it's their operation that really stands out.
They are off the electrical grid. They are 100 per cent solar generated.
“We moved to the Innisfail area after my husband retired from the Bow Island area in October of 2007 and started our business,” said Jose. “My husband and I have always lived off naturally fed animals and garden plots and getting this piece of land, we were able to move off the electricity grid by going solar.”
Jac noted they were advised not to go with wind energy for their farm, as conditions in this area were not optimal.
“Everything on the farm is run off solar energy,” added Jac. “We have 12 solar panels producing 2.2 kilowatts per hour powering our short-term apartment (until the house is finished), shop, tools, and machinery. I am an electrician so I was able to wire up the panels to a good battery storage system that supplies our needs.”
He added they have to watch their power consumption. Any unnecessary appliance or device is always turned off.
“This works for us,” said Jac.
Step away from the solar panels and the house is easily seen.
“We are building a home that will also be off-grid but resemble a 100-year-old home from Holland,” said Jose. “The idea came from a magazine my sister-in-law sent and we liked the picture. After contacting the owners I sent my sister-in-law to take pictures of the home in Holland.”
Jose asked permission to use the design for their own home, which the Dutch owners agreed to.
She added the home is not yet finished but they should be in the house by this Christmas once the ceilings are complete and the home is decorated.
“Presently we live in the shop on the quarter section which will be converted to a shop again once we go to the house,” said Jose. “We are doing the work ourselves as my husband is a certified electrician and plumber.”
Going off-grid and all natural was an easy step for the Hoppenbrouwers.
“My husband always wanted to go off-grid, and since I am a cancer survivor I have tried to eat all natural foods, which we now produce so this farm was the perfect solution,” said Jose. “Our products are high quality and that makes a difference to our customers' health.”
White Creek Meats is more than a farm, added Jose. “It is our life,” she said.
