greenhouse Archives | Alberta Farmer Express

Major Quebec hothouse grower seeks creditor protection

By GFM Staff September 24, 2019

One of Quebec’s best known greenhouse propagators, who in recent years launched an aggressive expansion into organic vegetables, is seeking creditor protection. Les Serres Lefort, which operates almost 50 acres of greenhouse facilities at Sainte-Clotilde in Quebec’s Monteregie, announced Sept. 10 it had filed a notice of intention on Sept. 6 to file a proposal […] Read more

Crops, Fruit/Vegetables

Grower of Zing peppers under new ownership

By GFM Staff August 25, 2019

A major greenhouse vegetable grower in southernmost southern Ontario is expanding its reach in the region. Mucci Farms, based at Kingsville, just west of Leamington, announced Wednesday it has bought a controlling stake in Leamington-based Orangeline Farms, the grower of Zing Healthy Foods greenhouse peppers. Financial details weren’t disclosed in Mucci’s release Wednesday, but CBC […] Read more

General, Markets

Agriculture foreign workers get new path to residency

By John Greig July 12, 2019

Updated, July 15 — The federal government has announced a pilot program that will make it easier for farms and food companies to maintain workers they recruit from around the world. Ahmed Hussen, minister for immigration, refugees and citizenship, announced the program Friday at Maple Leaf Foods in Mississauga. Why it matters: There’s a labour […] Read more

Senior research scientist Nick Savidov and aquaponics technician Penny Takahashi work in the college’s existing Aquaculture Centre of Excellence greenhouse.

News

Grants boost greenhouse research at Lethbridge College

By Lethbridge College July 11, 2019

A pair of federal grants will allow Lethbridge College to create a new commercial-scale greenhouse and also to purchase equipment for research work in precision irrigation and in antibiotic identification from native plants. The college is getting $1 million towards its Centre for Sustainable Food Production that will be used for the greenhouse that will […] Read more

Crops, Fruit/Vegetables

Vegetable seedling grower, cannabis grower to merge

By GFM Staff October 8, 2018

A B.C. company that raises seedlings for greenhouse vegetable growers is set to devote its existing square footage to weed, following a takeover by a B.C. cannabis grower and processor. Langley-based, publicly-traded Bevo Agro on Thursday announced a reverse takeover deal with Surrey-based, privately-held cannabis firm Sun Pharm Investments, which will see Sun Pharm shareholders […] Read more

Crops, Reuters

Aurora to buy Ontario’s MedReleaf in biggest-ever pot deal

By John Benny, Nichola Saminather May 14, 2018

Reuters — Aurora Cannabis will buy rival MedReleaf Corp. for $3.2 billion in the biggest deal yet to unify major Canadian pot growers, as the country moves toward legalizing marijuana for recreational use. The deal announced Monday is the latest in a wave of mergers in the industry as marijuana producers — emboldened by pot […] Read more

This image from a 2SaveEnergy promotional video shows how a light-defusing plastic film is incorporated into the greenhouse structure. However, things such as anti-reflective coatings can improve light capture in existing greenhouses, says provincial horticulture specialist Dustin Morton.

Crops, News

Greenhouse advances saving operators big dollars

New state-of-the-art designs are halving energy costs, but even ‘simple things’ make a difference

By Alberta Agriculture and Forestry March 7, 2018

Improved construction materials and design are making greenhouses more efficient and cheaper to operate, says a provincial horticulture specialist. “Greenhouses have traditionally been energy-intensive operations, but with increasing scrutiny and slowly shrinking margins, producers need to find ways of trimming costs wherever possible,” said Dustin Morton. For example, research by Silke Hemming of Wageningen University […] Read more

Partners Wayne Lohr and Ulf Geerds have turned their extensive experience in agriculture and horticulture into a growing vertical farming venture near Olds.

Crops, News

Vertical farming grows up and comes of age

Growing food without sunlight or soil is now a reality, but the economics leave little room for error

By Jennifer Blair April 25, 2017

Olds-area greenhouse operator Wayne Lohr and business partner Ulf Geerds are dreaming big — they want to grow an acre of strawberries. That may not sound like a big deal until you consider that acre will take up just 360 square feet and produce strawberries year round. And even though they’re grown in racks on […] Read more

Crops, Fruit/Vegetables, Machinery & Shop

Ontario greenhouse growers get competitiveness fund

By John Greig March 24, 2017

The Ontario government is putting $19 million into a new initiative to support the competitiveness of the greenhouse sector in the province. Provincial Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal announced the funding on Thursday at Link Greenhouse near Bowmanville, just east of Oshawa. The Greenhouse Competitiveness and Innovation Initiative aims to provide funding for the creation of […] Read more

Crops

Lake Erie plan’s farming recommendations released

By John Greig March 21, 2017

A federal/provincial action plan to reduce phosphorus loading in Lake Erie has been released for public comment — and many of its recommendations will have implications for farmers in the Lake Erie basin. None of the numerous recommendations are particularly new or surprising and mostly call for using existing funding programs to encourage certain production […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soybeans bounce, corn stabilizes

U.S. livestock: CME cattle extend losses

Protestors put up new rail, road barricades in wake of arrests

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