Green houses in LeamingtonThe area's rapidly growing greenhouse industry represents $1 billion in farm gate value. Over 60% of Ontario's greenhouses can be found in the Leamington/Kingsville area. In fact, the area's greenhouse acreage is larger than the entire U.S. greenhouse industry combined, making it home to the largest concentration of greenhouses in North America with nearly 2000 acres “under cover”. The majority of crops grown are destined for markets in the United States. Principal crops include tomatoes, seedless cucumbers and peppers. Floriculture, including potted plants, bedding plants and roses is also an important part of Leamington's greenhouse economy. Aphria’s current 22,000 sq ft of greenhouse space sits inside CF Greenhouse’s 450,000 sq ft. commercial greenhouse facility on the edges of Leamington, Ontario, surrounded by similar greenhouses in all directions. Located snugly in southern Ontario’s banana belt just south of Detroit and north of Lake Erie, Leamington boasts the highest concentration of greenhouses in North America, with them dotting the landscape in all directions, growing tomatoes, peppers, flowers and much more. Cole Cacciavillani and his partner John Cervini have been growing food and flowers in this region for decades, and their approach to cannabis is a stark contrast to many indoor facilities one comes across under the MMPR. While their drying, processing and packaging rooms sit inside their 600 sq ft vault and feel more like the typical indoor LP, their 3 large greenhouses rooms full of cannabis very much feel like a typical agricultural operation.
Even with the temperatures still below zero outside when we visited this past March, inside was warm and humid, with ladybugs and sunlight dancing around the room. Pipes clicked and rattled as the automated system opened or closed vents to maintain temperature or humidity, lights clicked on and off as clouds passed overhead and fans overhead whirred back and forth keeping a healthy circulation.
Cole estimates the operating cost of their greenhouse is about 70% cheaper than the typical indoor facility, simply because of lower electricity costs, not only for lights, but for the massive air conditioning systems required to keep rooms filled with hot lights cool. Growing marijuana like other regional agricultural products, in the sun under glass, is what makes the most sense to him, and he’s proud of Aphria’s approach to keeping the plant ‘in the light’ as he says. Cole was our guide on our tour, and led us through the huge and amazing facility. Aphria is currently under expansion to double their cannabis greenhouse production space from 22,000 sq ft to 42,000 sq ft.
https://news.lift.co/touring-aphrias-greenhouses-in-ontarios-banana-belt/
