Learn the latest on greenhouse screens and how they offer growers the benefits of flexibility and precise control on Page 22.
Editorial 4
Industry News 6
Blooming marvels 14
Insights, highlights and top performers from the 2024 summer flower trials.
Photo contest 26 The Canadian greenhouse industry in snapshots captured by our readers.
Inside View 38
Our January cover contest winning image submitted by Nilton Brotto of Brookdale Treeland Nurseries. See more entries from our contest on Page 26.
Opportunity in obstacles State of the Canadian Greenhouse Industry report.
BY AMY KOUNIAKIS
On the big screen
What’s new with screens and what growers need to know about this important tool.
BY J LYNN FRASER
Mnogin Greenhouse
A look at how Nipissing First Nation is growing food sovereignty. BY
STEPHANIE GORDAN
A year of milestones
It’s official: we’re at the quarter mark of the 21st century! At this point in time, 25 years ago, we were all breathing a sigh of relief (and working through our stockpiles of toilet paper and bottled water) that the Y2K disaster never materialized. It’s funny now, in hindsight, how consumed we were by that uncertainty and its almost triviality today.
In some ways, we’re dealing with a similar type of uncertainty as we move into this new year and this next quarter of the century.
In this issue of Greenhouse Canada, we consider the state of the commercial greenhouse industry across the country and explore some of the uncertainty that comes with the change coming down the pipeline. There’s no sure-fire way to predict what the future holds but if there’s one thing history has taught us, it’s that this sector is resilient and continues to grow despite a slew of challenges. Read more in our sector report on Page 8.
On the subject of milestone years, this publication is celebrating one of its own in 2025: Greenhouse Canada has been in print for 45 years! To honour this occasion, and to highlight the great work of my predecessors, we’re going to
at one of Brookdale’s greenhouses beautifully illustrates the labour, hands-on expertise, technology, and tradition that drives the industry. Its movement is a reminder of the power of nature and that some forces are out of our control, but in working together we can find solutions and grow better for it.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit a photo this year to our contest. Check out some of the entries on Page 26 of this issue. It was a very tough decision!
When it comes to industry traditions, there’s few more wellknown in the Canadian floriculture industry than the Sawaya Garden Trials. The 2024 summer trials were a particularly interesting event given the stormy weather in the weeks leading up the the mid-July trial. Read some of the findings from this year’s season from trial-runner Melhem Sawaya on Page 14.
We’re also kicking off the new year with a couple of updates in this issue: the first looks at screen tech for greenhouses and best practices on Page 22. The other, is offering a look at the success of Mnogin Greenhouse in Nipissing First Nation which is growing a variety of greens
‘In 2025, Greenhouse Canada has been in print for 45 years!’
be sharing some of our archived content over the next year in these pages and online. We’ll also celebrate our anniversary at our 30th Annual Grower Day (another milestone!) in St. Catharines on July 17. Stay tuned for more information on what we have in store.
In the spirit of celebration, I offer my congratulations to Nilton Brotto of Brookdale Treeland Nurseries, who captured the incredible image that graces the cover this issue of Greenhouse Canada. We felt this image of the poly being changed out
for the region. Read up on how this community is growing food sovereignty on Page 30.
Closing out this issue, as always, is our longtime columnist, Gary Jones. He takes a look at the state of the industry from where he’s standing and one of the sector’s most pressing issues: energy. Read his take on things on Page 38.
As I sign off on this first issue of 2025, I’d like to wish all of our readers, advertisers, contributors and ongoing supporters a prosperous and healthy 2025!
Leciel Greenhouse Vegetables grows to one-million square feet of production space
Leciel-Greenhouse Vegetables celebrates reaching 1 million square foot of greenhouse production.
In a recent release, the company announced the accomplishment courtesy of their latest 65,000 square foot greenhouse project in partnership with Harnois Greenhouses.
With three sites located across Quebec, Leciel, the family-owned business cultivates a total of six crops and 20 different varieties, including radishes.
Leciel’s partnership with Harnois has provided most of their plastic greenhouses, including their latest project, a gutter connected Luminosa greenhouse complex.
“Working with Harnois Greenhouses has transformed our approach to cultivation. By growing in greenhouses, we’ve significantly reduced our pesticide use and can offer high-quality local production to Quebecers year-round,” said Steve Bertrand, co-owner of Leciel Greenhouse Vegetables, in the release.
“This greenhouse cultivation model also allows us to reduce our carbon footprint by producing directly here in Quebec. These advancements not only reinforce our leadership position but also demonstrate that quality, sustainability, and performance can go hand in hand.”
(Source: Harnois Industries Inc.)
NATURE FRESH FARMS APPOINTS NEW CEO, PATRICK CRITESER
Nature Fresh Farms has announced the newest addition to their executive team, Patrick Criteser, as their chief executive officer (CEO).
In a recent release, the company announced Criteser’s new role at the vertically integrated greenhouse that focuses on growing tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and berries year-round. Criteser will be taking over former CEO, Peter Quiring’s role, where he will be guiding Nature Fresh Farms through their expansion ventures throughout their team, products and distribution.
Starting December 2nd, Criteser will take
USask marks 30 years of prairie program
The University of Saskatchewan is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its education program, Prairie Horticulture Certificate (PHC).
In a recent release, the university marked the milestone for the program which offers students the ability to study horticulture at their own pace.
Students can choose from four streams: fruit and vegetable production, landscaping and arboriculture, greenhouse production, or nursery production.
“There is no other program like the PHC that offers students the opportunity to work at their own pace and at home,” said Jill Turner, program director from 2010 until her retirement in 2022, in the release.
(Source: University of Saskatchewan)
over as CEO and Quiring will become executive chairman of the board.
“Patrick is exactly who we need right now to navigate this period of tremendous growth,” said Quiring in the release.
“He shares our entrepreneurial drive to develop new varieties that are more nutritious and more delicious, while investing in the people who make it possible. His strategic thinking and deep business experience will help inspire a new generation of sustainability and innovation.”
(Source: Nature Fresh Farms)
BY THE NUMBERS
Source: ‘Energy supply and demand, 2023.’ Statscan, 2024
0.9% the amount in which energy increased in the agriculture sector in 2023.
37.6% the rise of natural gas consumed in Canada as a main source of energy.
1.1% the average amount by which Canada’s energy consumption decreased in 2023.
Dümmen Orange has been at the forefront of bringing beautiful, sustainable flowers to our world. Here’s to 25 years of blooming brilliance—thank you for being part of our journey!
Scan the QR code to Explore our 25-year journey and discover the milestones that shaped our success
OPPORTUNITY IN OBSTACLES
LEFT
Investments in AI and automation are seen by many as a way for growers to grow production and mitigate the pressures of labour shortages.
Throughout the course of 2024, Canada’s commercial greenhouse industry has navigated a series of challenges related to the rising cost of inputs, the pressures of inflation, regulatory roadblocks, water shortages, weather and everything in between. The year ended on a note of uncertainty as U.S. president-elect, Donald Trump, threatened to impose crippling tariffs on Canadian imports.
The fact remains that many of challenges growers successfully navigated in 2024 will continue to put pressure on bottom lines for the foreseeable future and the question of rising tariffs will loom over these early months of 2025. Despite this somewhat gloomy outlook, there is reason to be optimistic in these uncertain times.
The Canadian commercial greenhouse sector has experienced significant growth in the past decade and continues on this trajectory. According to Statistics Canada, in 2023, total sales of greenhouse fruit and vegetables rose nine per cent from 2022 to reach $2.5 billion.1 The ornamental sector saw total annual sales rise by 3.6 per cent to $3.02 billion in 2023, compared to the previous year, which is 13 per cent higher than the average of the previous four years.2
Also working in its favour is the fact this innovative industry has a reputation for adapting quickly to change and finding solutions to the problems it brushes up against. The people, researchers, associations and institutions who support the sector in Canada are already working to get ahead of some of the issues growers face and view these challenges as opportunities for the industry.
So, while it’s easy to get bogged down by uncertainty, the following will explore some of 2025’s potential curve balls and how growers can step confidently to the plate.
LAY OF THE LAND
At this time last year, inflation and its upward trend was a big concern for producers and consumers alike. At the time, the key lending rate sat at five per cent. As of publication, the Bank of Canada is lending at a Bank Rate of 3.25 per cent and inflation sits at two per cent. This downward trend, while promising, hasn’t necessarily translated into increased profit, as the cost of everything else continues to climb.
“Everybody’s been struggling with the cost of living, so that obviously has an impact,” said Gary Jones, Industry Development Program Manager for the BC Greenhouse Growers’ Association (BCGGA). “People are finding it more difficult to even manage everyday expenses which has an impact on how you drive your business.”
He notes that on the consumer level, prices have remained “pretty static” over the past 20 years, and it’s very hard for producers to increase prices to keep in line with the rising cost of inputs.
“Anybody that goes and buys vegetables or flowers in the supermarket have a price point that they’re not going to go above, because that’s what a pepper is worth; that’s what a bouquet of chrysanthemums is worth,” he said. “It’s really difficult to increase those prices, and particularly this year (2024).”
Sales across the country were impacted by tighter consumer budgets and, in some cases, weather.
The 2024 Canadian Greenhouse Conference hosted dozens of industry professionals from across Canada and five different countries on a bus tour of greenhouse production facilities in and around the Leamington area.
In Alberta, low light levels at the start 2024 and cooler temperatures that lingered into June, hindered production somewhat, according to Michiel Verheul, president of the Alberta Greenhouse Grower’s Association, but growers persevered, even in the face of water shortages.
“Overall, it was a good year for growers,” he said, noting that on the water front, growers stood as an example of reliable water stewards, and that AGGA was successful in communicating that to stakeholders and policymakers.
“For ornamental growers, 2024 was an average season at best,” Michel Senécal, Quebec-based agronomist and greenhouse consultant, told Greenhouse Canada in a recent interview. “The temperature after Victoria Day was unfavorable to sales. Consequently, there were few additional repeat orders for points of sale (ie: supermarkets, big box, garden centres, etc.).
“The excellent COVID years of 2020 and 2021 are, unfortunately, behind us,” he adds.
While the frenzied consumer action of the COVID years may be well past us, the sector is still seeing growth in the form of exports.
“A few of our members note that it was a challenging year, not a bad year, but not as successful as past years, especially some of the COVID years,” said Andrew Morse, executive director, Flowers Canada (Ontario).
“However, that somewhat changes if those farms or those individual businesses are more focused on export than they are on the local marketplace. So, for businesses that are targeting the U.S., many of them have identified that they’re still seeing the same strong growth.”
On the fruit and vegetable side of the sector, population growth and increased demand for locally grown, healthy food continues to drive growth.
“We saw greenhouse vegetable farm cash receipts were up 10-and-a-half per cent in 2023, said Amanda Norris, senior economist with Farm Credit Canada (FCC). “We forecast them to increase six and a half per cent in 2024 and close to 11 per cent in 2025.”
LABOUR
With this growth reported at both ends of the greenhouse spectrum, comes the need to properly staff an operation’s increased production. Labour remains a significant challenge for the Canadian greenhouse industry, the biggest employer of temporary foreign workers (TFW) amongst Canadian agricultural producers.
A recent report from the Canadian Agriculture Human Resource Council (CAHRC) on how labour challenges will shape the future of the industry to 2029 has found that in 2022, an estimated 4,300 positions went unfilled in the greenhouse, nursery and floriculture industry during peak season, resulting in more than $500 million in lost sales that year.
domestic labour pool expected to shrink in the next four to five years, there will be an even greater reliance on foreign workers to fill the labour gap.
industry,” remarks Verheul.
that have served us well for so many years.” Although, he insists that continued investments in AI technology and mechanization will help some growers fill part of that labour gap.
growers and the greenhouse community have
Impacts of Labour Shortages
been actively working on managing the labour challenge.
“Farms have tried to address this challenge in lots of different ways,” said Morse.
“I think that there’s been a lot of work to make sure we’re utilizing the temporary foreign worker programs in an effective and reasonable way and making sure that those workers are well supported and well taken care of to ensure that they maintain access to the program.”
Morse says that he believes the TFW program will remain a critical component
of the labour force for the sector for the foreseeable future, but he sees potential in some of the investments growers have made in automation technology to address their labour challenges.
“There’s this perception that farms will automate jobs off-site, and that’s not really true,” he said. “We did a study on this, back in 2021, and we found that the farms that were investing most in automation were not reducing their workforce. They were increasing it, if anything.”
He adds that in their consultations for the study, they learned that in automating
SOURCE: HOW LABOUR CHALLENGES WILL SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE ‘GREENHOUSE, NURSERY, AND FLORICULTURE INDUSTRY: AGRICULTURE FORECAST TO 2029. CAHRC (2019)
some of the physical tasks, there was not just a reduction in the number of hands required to work but the risk of worker injury dropped significantly. This also has the added benefit of freeing up that same worker to work in other parts of the operation, keeping them engaged and possibly more fulfilled.
“If you’re investing in these systems, in many cases, then you’re looking for people with the skill set to manage those systems,” he says. “So, you’re moving away from some of the hands-on labour and more towards some of the technology jobs, which is a good thing, because it means more opportunities.”
The high-tech nature of these systems means that workers from outside the world of horticulture could widen the recruitment pool. “I think for any young people coming into the industry, it’s a fascinating time,” said Jones. “Technology is a door of opportunity for bringing new people into horticulture who will have likely never considered it as career.”
ENERGY
There’s no denying the promise automation technology holds for many aspects of Canada’s greenhouse industry, but the more we automate, the more power we need to keep everything running smoothly.
“I think [one of] our biggest challenges in 2024 was the focus on carbon and carbon emissions, and having our sector try to eliminate the use of fossil fuels and reduce our emissions,” said Linda Delli Santi, Chair of the FVGC Greenhouse
Vegetable Working Group, and director, BC Regulated Marketing and National Affairs with the BCGGA. “At the moment, there isn’t a better fuel out there that that does what we need: that gives us the heat and the CO2 to grow plants.”
In B.C. this is an even more pressing issue as regulations prevent growers from employing cogeneration (the production of both electricity and heat by buring a fossil fuel such as natural gas) and selling some of that electricity generated back to the grid.
In Québec, the province’s electricity supplier is a partner in the energy transition and offers incentives to producers to reduce their consumption of fossil fuels. Hydro Québec offers assistance programs for lighting, heating equipment and other equipment requiring electricity.”
“Producers save energy by modernizing, for example, heating equipment with better efficiency, using climate control systems, thermal blankets and other practical measures,” said Senécal.
The fact remains, however, that electricity must come from somewhere and it’s coming at an increasing premium.
According to Norris, electricity costs for greenhouse growers increased by almost 80 per cent between 2013-2023 and she notes: “When we look forward, we forecast the cost of natural gas to increase a little over 10 per cent between 2024 and 2025 but remain below those high prices that we’ve seen in 2022.”
The need to reduce the sector’s reliance on fossil fuels has been at the forefront of many conferences and growers’ summits over this past year, as
researchers, associations and companies are working tirelessly, many times in partnership, to explore solutions. It’s clear this challenge presents an opportunity for the industry.
“Greenhouses have a compelling sustainability story regarding land and water use efficiency,” notes Lisa Ashton, PhD, Agriculture Policy Lead, RBC Climate Action Institute. “Elevating the use of clean and renewable energy would help strengthen its story, and position greenhouses to successfully transition to a net zero economy.
“That’s not up to the greenhouse industry itself. It is really about partnerships with stakeholders, including energy providers and governments, to understand the demand and solutions, and build localized approaches.”
Some of those pieces are poised to fall into place. The University of Windsor, for instance, is a hot spot for energy production and storage research. The university is deeply embedded in the greenhouse sector, working with growers in the Leamington area on various trials and researchers regularly presenting at conferences.
The future is clearly bright, in this arena, but there’s still a long row to hoe, so to speak.
“I think it’s going to continue to be politically charged in how we manage energy across Canada,” said Morse. “I don’t have a crystal ball to tell me how that’s going to play out, but I can certainly say that the farms are going to continue to need access to natural gas.”
NEIGHBOURS
As of writing, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump had yet to walk back his threat of 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian exports. There’s no denying how devasting this could be on business conditions, if enacted.
“If horticulture is affected by this tax, we could see several companies reduce their production, leading to layoffs,” said Senécal.
The geopolitical landscape will be a challenge for the next year and there will be risks associated with that, cautions Norris. “Tariffs, trade barriers, labour disputes and those factors are really beyond the sector’s immediate control.
“What I can say, without knowing exactly what those are going to be, is that success will come to those businesses that really build resilience into their strategies.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 36
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PERFECT SCORES AND TOP PERFORMERS
Highlights from the 2024 Sawaya Garden trials
BY MELHEM SAWAYA
This was the 24th annual Sawaya Gardens Trials, putting annuals and perennials to the test, to evaluate for their hardiness in our area of southwestern Ontario.
For our purposes, we trial annuals in containers and perennials in containers and in a garden bed. Those planted in-ground will be evaluated over the course of three years.
This year there was close to 3,000 cultivars displayed by breeder, rather than genus.
In the coming year, we plan to trial perennials in pots on a larger scale. Also, a complete trial of geranium cultivars to be displayed side by side so you, as a grower, can compare and decide on the cultivar that best suits your operation and, more importantly, your customers.
This past year we took a good look at the plant performance considering these factors:
SOURCE STARTING MATERIAL
a) Availability
b) Delivery
c) Quality
d) Germination/propagation %
e) Pest free
I can have a good pulse on these factors through my consulting business, where I deal with 49 different greenhouse operations that include the three major rooting stations, large growers and small growers that propagate vegetative and seed material.
POINT OF PURCHASE
a) Presentation
b) Shelf life
c) Stores abuse
d) Ease of care
e) Consumer first impression
At our garden centre, I have learned amazingly
ABOVE Monarch butterflies cannot resist Ball Seed’s ‘Monarch Magic’ Ageratum, pictured here at the 2024 Sawaya Garden trials.
fast that the varieties I love will not necessarily sell. Also, I work with thirteen different grower garden centres that gives me a good picture, at least in Ontario, of how varieties perform in the marketplace. That is where we can evaluate customer appeal for new products or new presentations.
TRIAL GARDEN PERFORMANCE
a) True to family performance not adopted cultivars (similar habit)
b) Plant habit
c) How long the cultivar looks good.
d) Plant body (foliage health and habit)
e) Flower power performance (how long and regeneration)
f) Rain recovery time
g) Drought tolerance
h) Deadheading requirement
i) Garden appeal from one meter.
j) Garden appeal from ten meters.
k) Disease resistance
l) Insect resistance
m) Fragrant
n) Colour appeal
Taking all the criteria into consideration, we scored every cultivar from a grower and consumer’s point-of-view and produced two scores out of 10: one to reflect production and performance, and the other for consumer appeal for the duration of the trial.
For the sake of the limited amount of information that we can
publish, I am going to highlight a few cultivars that performed exceptionally well through the whole season. It should be noted that 80 per cent of the trial cultivars were graded above 8 out of 10. Here are some highlights with their score.
These four cultivars are examples of an exploding genera that is leading in production compared to all the rest of the genera. Calibrachoas are great for hanging baskets and with combinations where they enhance other cultivars, but best when they are combination of different cultivars of the same genera. Mounding to
trailing habit with lots of unstoppable flowers through the whole season. These cultivars showed no signs of disease with green foliage through the summer. There are good varieties in every series, but not all the varieties in a series are good, so choosing through the series for the optimum colours to make your own mix is not an easy job but is necessary to have a successful production. Establishing certain colours from different series takes some work but then after, try to fine-tune your mix with trying new cultivars to adopt or reject, this process is to be followed with choosing any cultivars through any genera. As I said before, many varieties of a family are not related and are adopted to make a full colour series for marketing purposes. Taking the time to visit as many trials as possible or/and to do your own limited trials is a smart and effective approach to at least start with the best cultivars for your operation.
BLACK BEAR® IS SUN GRO’S PROPRIETARY BIOCHAR AGGREGATE FOR OPTIMAL AERATION & DRAINAGE
A TRUCKLOAD
CAPTURES & STORES THE EQUIVALENT CO2 VOLUME OF DRIVING 8500 kilometers.
CONTAINS: CANADIAN SPHAGNUM PEAT MOSS BIOCHAR FROM FORESTRY BY-PRODUCTS OUR SUPERIOR WETTING AGENT FOR EASE OF WATERING
correction of the disease is not that successful. Coleus is minimal maintenance in production and the gardens. Great for landscape and in containers.
These are the top scorers of a genera that not one cultivar scored below eight. Coleus is a genera that is great for sun and not bad for shade and is great in landscape or large containers with decorative pots or a thriller, filler, or spiller in the combinations depending on the cultivar habit. Coleus is great for the grower for a fast, respectively cost-effective, hardly any production problems and excellent product for every consumer especially with explosion of the different varieties. The only caution is that some cultivars are downy mildew susceptible. It is advisable that a preventative treatment to be applied early in the production cycle before any downy mildew symptoms are visible because the
8. Gaura Stratosphere White 10/10
This is one of the top performers for the last 20 years, but we haven’t seen an increase in sales due to the fact it does not show very well at sales time (because we do not give it enough grow time), and the lack of consumer knowledge about Gaura. In our garden centre, since we introduced the variety three years ago, the consumers that tried it now ask for it by name. We offer Gaura in 6” pots for landscape or large containers. Great for weddings and Gaura will show good as a combination centre if it is aged well to bulk it before putting in the combination.
5. Coleus Terra Scape Queen 10/10
6. Coleus Flame Thrower Sriracha 10/10
7. Coleus Color Blaze Wicked Witch 10/10
This is similar to Gaura with respect to consumer knowledge even though it is a very old crop. There is hesitance to adopt it because growers and retailers do not pass the message of how great a genus it is in the garden in terms of attracting humming birds: they do not leave it alone. Excellent in the landscape and in large combinations. Many seed varieties are just as good but need to be given 16 to 17 weeks grow time for a 6”. Again, customers that tried Pentas are loyal to the genera.
These are three cultivars of the most diversified genera from double flowers to single flowers large, small, and tiny, trailing to upright habit, day-neutral to long-day flowering. So, to say the least, petunia comes with many distinctive characteristics and requirements.
At Sawaya Gardens, for the past 24 years, petunias that are trailing with medium to small single flowers are the best performers if the plants are continuously fertilized.
Knowing the habit of each cultivar is particularly important because most of the cultivars are vigorous and growth regulator application is necessary. Petunias can be used in containers, landscape containers or combinations.
Here are a few examples of how advanced breeding is giving us a multitude of great cultivars. All we need now is varieties that can manage the rain without getting Botrytis. We need great looking flowers for all weather conditions. I remember the geraniums back in Lebanon, the flowers are normally bigger and ther would be no Botrytis, even on the old varieties. Geraniums are bad combination centres though they are the most used in combos because we do not follow the product to the consumer to see how it looks in June or July. Consumer success is the largest factor in advancing our industry or declining it. Geraniums are great in landscape and containers, but not combinations.
16. Lantana Shamrock Rose Gold 10/10
17. Lantana Bloomify Pink Improved 10/10
Here are two examples of great garden performers that butterflies and hummingbirds are in love with. With the sterile varieties,
the plants are simultaneously vegetative and reproductive which result in excellent performance the whole summer long. Lantana loves the heat and do not like the cold so producing lantana for later sales is necessary and more profitable for the grower and the consumer. Great in large containers and combinations.
18. Alocasia Regal Shields 10/10
19. Alocasia Odara Variegata Yellow 10/10
20. Alocasia Melino 10/10
Here are three examples of plants with stature that are carefree, loves full sun though they do OK in shade. It is an expensive liner, but it is meant to put in larger, high-end planters because the Alocasia are great for the garden and indoors. Tissue culture liners are great because they are vigorous disease insect and virus free. Can be used as centers for extra large combinations or in large decorative containers.
21. Ageratum Monarch Magic 10/10
This stunning cultivar is a breakthrough of beautiful blue flowers that is vigorous, thrives in the rain and loves the heat, and you cannot scare the monarch butterflies away from it. Monarch Magic Ageratum vigorousness can be an advantage for more costeffective production because there is no need to start early to get to an acceptable selling size. We tried it in large hanging baskets and landscapes, and both look great. Next year we want to try the Monarch Magic in combo with a vigorous yellow calibrachoa.
Friendly reminder: varieties that are new to you, try them on a small scale so you see how they end up at your facilities and if they have consumer appeal, then increase next year if all is favourable or drop it.
I will share the next 22 top-performing varieties from our summer flower trials in a future edition of Greenhouse Canada.
Melhem Sawaya is a greenhouse consultant and owner of Sawaya Gardens in Waterford, ON. He can be reached at mel@ focusgreehousemanagement.com.
NOW SHOWING on the big screen…
Screens in greenhouses offer nuanced control of a greenhouse’s exterior and interior environment.
“Because they are so effective in steering the greenhouse climate, they are hard to pin down for a specific reason to have. It depends on the challenges the grower is facing, and whether a screen can solve the issues that challenge may be causing,” notes Paul Arena, Greenhouse Climate Consultant, Ludvig Svensson.
11th consecutive year, up 9.2 per cent to $2.5 billion in 2023”1. Energy costs remain an issue with costs increasing 55 per cent from 2013 to 2023. Energy costs can represent 40 per cent of growers’ costs. Screens can reduce growers’ carbon footprint2 and reduce energy costs by 30 to 50 per cent3
BEST SCREEN ROLES
Greenhouse tool offers double feature of flexibility and control
BY J. LYNN FRASER
Energy use is an important area of concern where screens can help growers. A recent RBC report described Canada’s greenhouses as a “hotbed for growth” showing an increase in “farm gate values for the
ABOVE
Screens allow growers to control the length of ‘days’ and ‘nights’ 4. In winter, screens help growers save on energy costs by keeping heat inside greenhouses thus a greenhouse uses less natural gas and biomass for heating. Screens in the spring and fall
Greenhouse shade cloth/heat-retention curtains installed by GGS Structures. Curtains can be left slightly apart to allow maximum shading in the heat but still allowing air flow through roof vents.
control the amount of light reaching plants5. When made from the right materials screens can keep energy costs low. Heated air can be removed or held in place. Sunlight and heat are controlled by screens letting them in or out as desired during the day or night 4
“Some crops need to be artificially fooled into thinking that it’s winter, so a blackout screen is used. These crops will only flower in short-day conditions, hence the need to black the zone out after 12 hours of sunlight,” comments Duane Van Alstine, Customer Solutions, GGS Structures Inc. notes. They can be used to “shade crops that can be damaged by intense full sunlight,” says Van Alstine.
Screens “often are used in conjunction with cool pads in the heat of the summer to help cool the growing zone. When heat is excessive, a cool pad will not be enough to bring temperatures down to acceptable levels, closing screens will aid by eliminating some of the sun’s rays,” notes Van Alstine. “When heat is at a premium on cold winter days: the screen then becomes a ‘thermal curtain’ aiding in heat retention in the greenhouse,” he adds.
“Double shade curtains are installed for sun protection and heat retention; when they overlap they give an extra layer of protection, they can also be left slightly apart to allow maximum shading in the heat but still allowing air flow through roof vents. Typically, one of the double screens has a higher shading value so that one can use either or both for different shading and energy situations,” Van Alstine points out.
Insect screens enable insect control in a greenhouse. “They are often used to seal vent openings (accordion style) or on side vents that pull air across the greenhouse,” comments Van Alstine.
BEST PRACTICES FOR A SUPPORTING ROLE
“Installation can be difficult, it’s best to hire a professional. This will ensure the system is working properly and guaranteed for a determined length of time. Simple repairs can be done by the grower but major ones should be left to the installation company. Regular maintenance is necessary,” advises Van Alstine.
“When exposed to sunlight, new climate screens must settle within their wire bed before being clipped into their guide wires. Always order about 1.5 per cent more material than you need to allow that settling to occur, then clip in the screen. Make sure you sew the right material for your hang downs to ensure a longer life from your screen. Climate screens come with a warranty and that will depend on if they are used for interior or exterior use. Exterior screens usually have a shorter warranty since they are exposed to the elements,” notes Arena.
“You must consider the volume of screen you are moving, whether it is a vertical or horizontal screen, the possibility of maintaining the unit and availability of parts. Always select a motor supplier with a good warranty and support, making sure the motor is the proper voltage, speed and torque for your application,” notes Van Alstine.
BEST BOX OFFICE RETURNS
“Some screens can last over 10 years if you take good care of them. Since energy savings are such a renowned feature of most screens, some growers experience an ROI of about two years on gas savings alone,” states Arena.
“Typically, ROI for screens is two-to-four years as screens used for energy savings and shade can give 30–50 per cent savings
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Light diffusion is becoming recognized as a must-have tool for an efficient crop. Even for glass roofs, growers want diffused materials to spread more light to more leaves within their crop.
RIGHT
In sunlight, new climate screens must settle within their wire bed before being clipped into their guide wires. Growers are urged to order about 1.5 per cent more material than needed to allow that settling to occur, then clip in the screen.
annually in heating costs depending on location. The average lifespan of quality shade/energy cloth is eight-to-12 years with proper maintenance,” observes Van Alstine.
FUTURE SCREENINGS
In the future, Arena sees “light diffusion is becoming recognized as a must-have tool for an efficient crop. Even for glass roofs, growers want diffused materials to spread more light to more leaves within their crop. Through diffused glass, screens become even more effective at diffusing light. This will only enhance crop quality and reduce intense radiation that causes stress on crops.”
Artificial intelligence will change screens. “AI is going to take charge in the decision-making process for the application of screens. AI will take charge through crop input. The future could bring us intelligent shading/energy material that adapts to temperature and solar changes. Just imagine a material that can change to a finer weave when it gets colder or when the light level is over the crops’ requirement and becomes translucent when the climate is ideal,” points out Van Alstine.
Climate change is encouraging the development of new products to cope with increasing temperatures. SecondSky is an example. It was created by Derya Baran, Associate Professor in Material Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) 6. Dr. Baran developed the “patented nanoparticle additive that blocks heat in greenhouse covers” in that is sold in polyfilm, net, and polycarbonate formats7
SecondSky is now being used in 15 countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates6. SecondSky, according to the company’s website, is an “adaptive technology. It is a one for one replacement of any existing traditional plastic cover”. The company states that SecondSky reduces energy needs, decreases “water and fertigation costs,” “improves crop outputs,” and “blocks peak heat from damaging crops.”. The company’s SecondSky Data keeps track of “environmental factors, including
PAR (photosynthetic active radiation), DLI (daily light integral), CO2 levels, humidity, and air pressure.” The system includes 24/7 monitoring and a warning system for environmental levels7 Greenhouse screens offer growers both flexibility and control. Their energy reduction capacity can aid growers in reducing their costs thereby increasing their competitiveness. The future is ‘sky high’ for greenhouse innovation.
SOURCES
1. Ashton, L., 2024, The greenhouse boom: How indoor farming can transform food production and exports, RBC, https:// thoughtleadership.rbc.com/the-greenhouse-boom-how-indoorfarming-can-transform-food-production-and-exports/
2. Metzger, B., 2023, A cost-effective solution to help you save energy, White Paper, Prospiant, https://giecdn.blob.core.windows.net/ fileuploads/document/2023/04/28/cavityscreenswhitepaper.pdf
3. Bartok, J.W., 2024, Energy and shade screen systems for greenhouses, Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment, University of Massachusetts, https://ag.umass.edu/greenhousefloriculture/fact-sheets/energy-shade-screen-systems-forgreenhouses
4. DutchGreenhouses® (DGH), 2023–2024, Energy saving screens, https://dutchgreenhouses.com/en/screening/energy-screens
6. Page, T., 2024, This greenhouse keeps crops cool. It could prove valuable as our planet bakes, CTV News, http://ctvnews.ca/ climate-and-environment/this-greenhouse-keeps-crops-cool-itcould-prove-valuable-as-our-planet-bakes-1.7127107
7. SecondSky, Centre of Agriculture Climate Technology for Ultimate Sustainability, Abu Dhabi, UAE, https://secondsky.com/
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COVER-WORTHY Captures
Breathtaking photography from Canada’s greenhouse industry
BY GREENHOUSE CANADA
The Greenhouse Canada team had its work cut out for them when it came to finding the perfect image for our January 2025 cover.
We received more than 20 breathtaking images of the Canadian greenhouse sector from across the country. Respondents have not only proven their talent with the camera, but also in reflecting on what this industry means to them and how they tried to convey that through imagery.
Deciding on a winner was no easy task and was subject of much heated debated but we ultimately determined that the image supplied to us by Nilton Brotto, operations manager at Brookdale Treeland Nurseries in Niagara-on-the-Lake, would be our first cover of 2025.
Brookdale is a long-established grower specializing in perennials
and Christmas adornments, grown across approximately 40,000 sq. ft. of production space. In the image, workers from Loesen Inc. are installing 6-mm Poly over one of Brookdale’s greenhouses.
“There was a slight breeze happening in the end of the day that cause the poly to raise while the first layer was being installed,” Brotta said to explain why he captured this moment. “No issues occurred and the poly was installed successfully.”
The movement of the poly in the picture, and the workers’ efforts to keep the project from literally blowing away beautifully illustrates the eternal struggle of this sector in battling the elements largely out of their control. Additionally, the panel who selected this image felt it showcased one of those necessary, physically demanding and not-very-glamourous aspects of the business but how even in that mundanity there is greater purpose and beauty.
Here’s a look at some more entries from this year’s contest. Enjoy!
1. Submitted by Joanne Gervais from the University of Guelph. Here’s what she had to say about her entry: “What does being a part of the Canadian greenhouse industry mean to me? It means teaching the next generation of growers, crop scouts, sales reps and specialists to prepare them for an exciting career in one of the most dynamic industries. In the photo, students in the Associate Diploma in Horticulture program at the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus are getting hands on experience in the campus greenhouse facility learning about biological control and integrated pest management practices.”
2. Submitted by Sarah Borden of Terra Greenhouses in Hamilton, Ontario. She shares that this shot is of a “Dahlia ‘Starsister’ Red+White in week 17. My favourite flower from all of 2024.”
3. Submitted by Dimitri Karakostas of St. George, New Brunswick. This image was hotly debated amongst our panel due to how unique it is amongst the entries we received. Karakostas describes the image as the “night view of stocking greenhouses.”
4. This image was also submitted to us by Dimitri Karakostas and it shows tomatoes being clipped in a greenhouse.
5. Submitted by Sonia Klinger of Del Fresco Pure in Kingsville, Ontario. We ALWAYS love bug
photos and this was captured masterfully. Here’s what Klinger had to say about her image: “One of our greenhouse heroines, the ladybug, keeping our sweet bell peppers safe from the ‘bad bugs’.
6. Submitted by Sylvia Nonkes of Spring Breezes Greenhouse in Brussels, Ontario. Taken in May 2024, Nonkes says “my little grand neice came and saw this little watering can and decided she needed to water some plants.”
7. Submitted by Stewart Cameron of Bayview Flowers in Jordan Station, Ontario. It shows a crop of healthy succulents at one of the grower’s facilities in Ontario.
8. Submitted by Alison Lindeboom from Dunnville, Ontario. Lindeboom writes: “This photo displays the last stop of the flower before its departure from the wholesaler. This machine standardizes the flowers, making them ready for packaging and shipping. This photo displays the day-to-day use of the machinery.”
9. Submitted by Colleen Schenck of Schenck Farms in St. Catharines, Ontario. She writes of the shot: “Christmas at Schenck Farms! Featuring our beautiful 6” Red Poinsettias.”
10. Submitted by Henry Vangamere of Vineland Station. He says he captured “a beautiful August day visiting Ridge Farms in Leamington.”
Greenhouse Canada would like to thank everyone who took the time to submit a photo for this year’s cover photo contest. We love seeing the industry from your point of view!
Mnogin Greenhouse thrives
Growing food sovereignty in Nipissing First Nation
BY STEPHANIE GORDON
In northern Ontario, there is a healthy appetite for food sovereignty.
“We started the first week of June (2023), and by the end of December, we were selling out of all our produce every single week,” Makenzie Jones says. Jones is the head grower and manager of the Mnogin Greenhouse owned by Nipissing First Nation.
Mnogin means “grow well” in Nishnaabemwin, Nipissing’s dialect of Ojibwe. The three-farm project launched in June 2023.
LETTUCE ISN’T JUST LETTUCE
Mnogin Greenhouse grows a variety of high-quality
TOP
greens for nearby restaurants, retailers, and has partnerships with the Nipissing First Nation Food Bank and Nipissing First Nation Health Centre where the produce is used in a monthly food box and donated to the Diners’ Club.
“People often think, lettuce is lettuce, but you do taste the difference,” Jones says. To get their first restaurant customer, Jones went around with two bags of lettuce: one for the restaurant to use and one for the restaurant to store in the fridge until it went bad.
“In three weeks, they’d send me a message and confirm that the lettuce still wasn’t bad,” Jones says.
Makenzie Jones, middle, is the head grower and greenhouse manager for Mnogin Greenhouse owned by Nipissing First Nation.
INSET
Mnogin Greenhouse grows a variety of the highest quality fresh greens for the community, nearby restaurants, and retailers. Mnogin means to “grow well” in Nishnaabemwin, Nipissing’s dialect of Ojibwe.
ABOVE
Mnogin Greenhouse harvests 52 weeks of the year, because they opt for batch harvesting to reduce downtime.
“And I tell them, ‘I know, keep it in the fridge.’”
After four to five weeks, the chef will tell Jones that the lettuce is finally starting wilt, and Jones will explain that sourcing their locally grown greens can fetch you five weeks of good shelf life. Mnogin Greenhouse became a regular supplier for its first restaurant, but a month later the regular order amount was slashed.
Jones followed up with the restaurant and discovered that, with regular orders from their usual suppliers, a third of the produce was garbage by the time it made its way to North Bay.
“I asked, ‘is there something wrong with our produce? And their response was that we’re saving them time and money because they’re not throwing anything out and there’s so little waste!”
GROWING UP NORTH
Nipissing First Nation worked with Growcer to source and install modular vertical farms. The three farms are connected by a “hub” that serves as the main entry point and acts as an additional barrier against pests.
The farms use deep water culture hydroponics where plants sit on floating rafts with their roots submerged in nutrient-rich water and artificial lights above. The deep water culture system is better suited for northern growing where power outages can happen. If that happens, the roots are still submerged in water (and their food source) so you have more time to get the power back on before you lose plants.
OPTIMIZING EACH FARM
Mnogin’s modular vertical farm is designed to grow a multi-crop
Farm #1 and #3
Leafy Greens: Sunangel Spinach and Arugula
MODIFICATIONS
Reduced photoperiod (16 hours on, 8 hours off)
Reduced light intensity (one light was unplugged for the arugula specifically)
Reduced temperatures (16°C-18°C)
Reduced EC (1.6-1.7)
Increased pH (6.00-6.25)
Increased dissolved oxygen by adding an extra air pump and air stone to each side of the farm
Shorten growth schedule to 4 weeks in main growing area instead of 5
Reduced photoperiod (16 hours on, 8 hours off)
RESULTS
Spinach was a richer green with none, or very few, bolting occurrences
Enhanced water retention delivered more “crunch” to the spinach Arugula leaves grew larger in size with a velvety texture
mix and the environmental parameters set are an average range for a mix of crops instead of optimized for one. However, Jones, decided to optimize each of their farms for a specific crop to enhance yields. The modularity of the farms allows for each farm to have different environmental parameters because they are independent of each other and can be more strictly controlled.
“I’m aware lettuces and leafy greens have similar environmental requirements, but they can and would perform much better in an environment tailored specifically for their needs,” Jones says.
Farm #2
Lettuces: Monte Carlo Romaine, Five Star Lettuce mix, Choi and Basil*
Increased temperatures (19°C-21°C)
Reduced EC (1.5-1.6, but still higher than the 1.2 recommended because of the other cultivars growing)
Maintain pH between 5.8 – 6.0
Monte Carlo saw a substantial increase in size per head
Yields of Five Star Lettuce increased Tip burn decreased in all crops
*Chois and herbs like basil are incorporated into the lettuce-optimized farm because they’re able to withstand higher temperatures.
Although these changes have made a significant impact on the quality and yields of Mnogin’s production, Jones believes there is still room for improvements through research and development trials.
WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER
Aside from updating the environmental parameters to suit the crops grown, Jones also found labour savings by batch harvesting to eliminate downtime.
In a normal single farm operation, a full system flush is recommended every six months. During a full system flush, you
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pause one week of production and therefore, harvest 50 weeks of the year.
LEFT Jones splits up the farms into a leafy green farm and a lettuce farm to optimize environmental parameters depending on the crops grown.
effect in the community. Mnogin Greenhouse partners with Nipissing First Nation’s Food Bank and its coordinator Jessica can fill two fridges with fresh produce every week.
“To me, it wasn’t a big deal. Just another week at Mnogin,” Jones states. “For her, she mentioned it is a huge deal for people. When they came in and saw the Mnogin produce in the fridge, she shares their eyes lit up and they were excited to get that food.”
“It makes a big difference for the community, especially for those who are in need of fresh produce that otherwise wouldn’t have it.”
Beyond their relationships with restaurants, and retailers like a smaller café, the Mnogin team just launched a bi-weekly subscription program that will see orders delivered to customers at either end of Nipissing’s land base, which stretches nearly 40 kilometres. With the greenhouse located at the midpoint, this is a key step in making fresh produce more accessible to community members.
“I’m aware lettuces and leafy greens have similar environmental requirements, but they can and would perform much better in an environment tailored specifically for their needs”
“All our crops are on a four-week cycle which limits our downtime,” Jones explains. “Each time we harvest, we can do a complete system clean instead of losing a week of production for a system flush. With our batch harvesting set-up you can truly harvest 52 weeks of the year.”
Another benefit of batch harvesting is that if you do have any water issues, like pathogen presence or nutrient instability, you can resolve the issue with a flush in a single harvest cycle without losing any production time or exacerbating the issue.
DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY
What may feel like business as usual for Jones is having a positive ripple
The project does not have plans of slowing down any time soon and received two awards in food sovereignty and economic development for Northern Ontario in 2024.
“The main reason for our project was to enrich food sovereignty goals, diversify the economy in Nipissing First Nation, and lastly, to create jobs for members,” Jones says.
In the future, Nipissing First Nation plans to open a training hub nearby to teach and upskill more Indigenous people in agriculture in Northern Ontario.
“Lastly, I will touch on one of our customers. Every time I’m in there, he’s always telling me how much he believes in our project and understands the background and importance of where it’s coming from, which is food sovereignty.”
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She advises growers to stay agile and adjust rapidly to change by “investing in data capabilities, forming relationships and partnerships and really accelerating the adoption of those innovative practices.”
While it’s too soon to say how the wind will blow after Jan. 20, there is hope that calmer heads will prevail.
“There’s so much two-way trade, that there is a lot to be lost by taking an extremely hard stance,” said Morse.
In the meantime, given the exchange rate, which as of publication was .71 CAD to USD, buying from Canadian producers remains quite favorable for U.S. companies.
“The Canadian dollar has depreciated against the U.S. dollar recently, and we expect it to remain pretty flat for the next little while,” said Norris. “The slightly weaker Canadian dollar compared to the U.S. is a potential benefit for the sector when looking at exports.”
MOVING FORWARD
Even if the news from the South is bleak, there is still so much opportunity for greenhouse producers, and growers
shouldn’t lose sight of the successes in the sector in recent years.
“I think the greenhouse industry is well positioned to grow domestically, and then there’s also other markets that they’re expanding in, particularly in Asia,” said Ashton. She is observing demand in crops outside of the ‘big three’ (tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers) as initiatives, including the Weston Family Foundation’s Homegrown Innovation Challenge, are supporting advancements in Canadiangrown berries.
“There is a lot of excitement and innovation around lettuce and berries, with a focus on improving production processes and quality,” Ashton adds. “Innovation in crop type seems to be an area where there’s domestic appetite, and even demand from the U.S. for higher quality products.”
Norris agrees and urges greenhouses to consider diversifying production: “When we look at the [data related to] harvested areas, we are seeing growth in some of those crops, outside of those big three,” she said.
Beyond crop diversification, there are other areas of opportunity for greenhouse producers to innovate and lead the way in finding solutions for the global industry.
“Solving your challenge is your opportunity,” insists Delli Santi, who touts the sector’s strong reputation for innovation and being early-adopters of new technology and modernized practices.
“We should not lose sight of all the opportunities that are still there for greenhouses, whether that’s automation technologies, robots for planting and weeding or precision,” said Norris. “In all of that technology, and technology that we haven’t even discovered yet, and the application to the greenhouse sector is going to be really exciting.”
STAY ENGAGED
To navigate the challenges ahead, and to take advantage of those opportunities, growers must make an effort to stay engaged with their associations and keep informed about the issues that will directly affect their businesses.
“We try to keep our members communicating to us through the FVGC or individual associations in each province, to communicate to us where the pinch points are for them to help us talking to government and garnering support for our sector,” said Delli Santi.
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Plant Empowerment: The Basic Principles details how an integrated approach based on physics and plant physiology leads to a balanced growing method for protected crops resulting in healthy resilient plants, high yield and quality, low energy costs and economic greenhouse concepts.
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In other provinces, producer associations also work with their members by influencing and proposing solutions to their entrepreneurial reality.
“We educate our industry (and) we have a good working relationship with all aspects of the green industry,” Verheul said, adding that through their association’s annual events and workshops, “we make sure growers are producing a better quality product each year resulting in less losses and higher prices.”
“I would encourage communication and engagement with associations like ours (Flowers Canada) that are working on these issues on a daily basis,” said Morse, who adds that especially when it comes to municipal policy, engaging with local associations and keeping informed will be essential.
“We’re seeing municipal policy that is having a direct and significant impact on greenhouse growth,” he said. “Whether it’s storm water taxes, whether it’s restrictions on access to worker housing, whether it’s bylaws that are aimed at reducing the number of greenhouses in the region, being engaged in your local municipal requirements is becoming more and more important.”
Whatever winds of change blow our way in the coming months, the Canadian greenhouse sector is poised to weather it. There may be some bumps along the way, but there is an engaged, innovative, loud and committed army of advocates, companies and associations ready to step into the fray to ensure the industry is involved in finding solutions.
In the words of Michiel Verheul: “Our voice will be heard.”
SOURCES
1. Statistical Overview of the Canadian Greenhouse Vegetable and Mushroom Industry 2023; Statistics Canada. https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/sector/ horticulture/reports/statistical-overviewcanadian-greenhouse-vegetable-andmushroom-industry-2023
2. Statistical Overview of the Canadian Ornamental Industry, 2023; Statistics Canada. https://agriculture.canada.ca/ en/sector/horticulture/reports/statisticaloverview-canadian-ornamentalindustry-2023
3. How Labour Challenges Will Shape the Future of the ‘Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Industry: Agriculture Forecast to 2029. CAHRC
INSIDE VIEW
GARY JONES | greenhousewolf@gmail.com
Are we receiving conflicting messages?
The themes for this issue of ‘Greenhouse Canada’ – State of the Industry and Energy – seem to be intrinsically linked together right now. Given the current global political position to wean the world off fossil fuels, for an industry like ours it is impossible to look at where we currently stand without discussing the impact of this on the state of the industry.
But of course, the critical role of energy is itself impacted by many other factors and cannot be considered as a ‘stand-alone’ issue. At the time of writing this, we’re barely out of a knife-edge provincial election in BC, with one of the key issues in that being the provincial carbon tax system and costs. And by the time this edition of GHC is out, we’ll also be staring at a Canadian federal election in no more than 10 months’ time, with the same ‘hot topic’ part of the conversation. Furthermore, the realities of the result of the U.S. election and the ramifications of a new U.S. Administration on everyday business in Canada will still be evolving. Various worker-group strikes (port workers, Canada Post) ’pop up’, and don’t help the business world.
in HortiDaily: “the origin of the energy is also evolving. Growers unable to use residual heat or energy could find several battery systems on the [Greentech] exhibition floor, following electric boilers being the hot trend in previous years. ‘Batteries and buffers are going to become major trends’ predicted an energy specialist.” 2
There seems to be something of a contradiction nestled in these two views. Some expect that in Europe, electric boilers and batteries may be thought to be the way forward. Yet, here in BC at least, that pathway is currently fraught with potential ‘supplydemand’ minefields. And new sources of electricity take a long time to come online and are expensive: “the cost of ‘Site C’ (BC’s new hydro dam) original $8b budget, now (Oct ’24) stands at $16b.” 1 Oh… and don’t forget that going the electric route doesn’t easily resolve our industry’s reliance on dependable and affordable supplies of clean CO2, which natural gas currently provides.
‘It’s easy for decision makers to forget the benefits of our sector...’
Add in population growth (demanding more homes, and in many choices additional electric vehicles), industry growth challenges, and the ever-increasing pace and impact of technology on all aspects of society, each bringing their own increasing energy demands, and we have a recipe for unpredictability and a kind of ‘perfect (electrical) storm’.
The Hon Barry Penner (former BC Minister of Environment, now leading ‘Energy Solutions/ Resource Works’) reported that “BC is at risk for energy failure as early as Dec 2026”1 (according to a recent North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) report). According to Penner, in “2023 and 2024 BC was a net importer of electricity” and “Hydroelectric provides 39 per cent of our heating energy need, and natural gas 65 per cent.” So, what happens when we can’t use natural gas – what fills this 65 per cent of our heat energy demand? If we’re already at risk of ‘energy failure’ within the next couple of years, clearly the answer is not simply to ‘electrify everything’, as many have suggested.
While tech developments continue, one of the key take-aways from Greentech (2024) was reported
OK, so this is not a new view on the twin themes of the ‘state of the industry’ and ‘energy’. But amidst all the promotional ‘stuff’ of emerging new technology, the promises and claims of politicians eager for everyone’s votes, and the excruciating challenges of managing businesses at the mercy of the unpredictability of biological systems, the weather, and fellow industries, it’s sometimes easy for decision makers to forget the massive benefits of our sector to wider society. The fresh food produced in our greenhouses is local, nutritious and healthy; thereby being a critical piece of our government’s desire to build our food security. The flowers and plants from our ornamentals sector have been proven to help reduce stress and anxiety, clean the air in our homes, schools and offices, and well, just add to our quality of life. When pressing to meet energy and emissions targets, our governments would be wise to recognize this and provide the environment to keep this working to benefit everyone.
1. Hon Barry Penner, in presentation to BCGGA Directors, Executive, and staff.
2. “10 Takeaways from GreenTech 2024”, www. HortiDaily.com, 14 Jun 2024
Gary Jones sits on several greenhouse industry committees in BC and welcomes comments at greenhousewolf@gmail.com.
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