Before getting into the greenhouse business, Ray Price consulted extensively with experts and toured multiple facilities, many of which were in the Netherlands, which is ground zero for innovation on growing under glass.
The facility’s hoist system provides 30 per cent more yield, but it also does not neglect carbon capture or water leaching, two realities every greenhouse operator must face.
The facility has a carbon dioxide recirculation system built into the boilers. CO2 is a byproduct of burning natural gas and rather than venting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the system recirculates it back into the greenhouse in a controlled fashion to support photosynthesis.
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Water which spills over is collected through a sophisticated drainage system. As it’s collected, water goes through a UV sterilization process, which is reused again for watering, saving an estimated 20 to 30 per cent of otherwise wasted water.
“While these features are more capital intensive, they reduce the carbon footprint of our facility,” said Amanda Hehr, president of Sunterra Greenhouse. “Climate-controlled growing is such an efficient way to grow food as opposed to field growing, which uses up to 90 per cent more water and inputs.”
