Why Southwestern Ontario is the best for Greenhouse growing
Southwestern Ontario is a hotbed for greenhouses, a trend that is expected to continue over the coming years. According to Statistics Canada, greenhouse agriculture is expanding all over the country, with much of this growth taking place right here, in Ontario. The province is home to more than 2/3 of almost 200 million square feet of land, which has been dedicated to vegetable production in Canada, a number that is predicted to grow while already weighing in above the national average of 22.5%.
What makes Ontario great for greenhouse growing?
Much of the industry's success may be attributed to factors that influence all of Ontario’s agriculture, such as rich fertile soil, more than 120 million customers within a single day’s drive, and easy access to water, but these aren’t the only contributors to the province’s greenhouse growth. As consumers shift to prioritize health by steering clear of highly processed foods and chemically treated produce, we’re leaning more on organic staples that are much easier to cultivate in a controlled environment.
Those trends, as well as others, such as the rise in campaigns and initiatives designed to encourage consumers to buy local and rising fuel costs, are making it much more appealing for suppliers to grow closer to home. More people focusing on regaining buying power through domestic goods has certainly fueled the growth of Ontario’s agriculture sector, but it’s not just the fact that “Good things Grow in Ontario” that’s driving this sudden increase in greenhouse cultivators.
Unpredictable international markets practically sealed the deal because, as we’ve seen in situations like the cauliflower crisis, sudden skyrocketing prices can be devastating even for the most financially secure growers. All it takes is for the loonie to drop just a few cents for products to suddenly cost more, and that’s not a loss anyone in agriculture can afford to take.
Of course, we don’t yet have an international cannabis industry, however, this new breed of cultivators is taking note and following suit in preparation for the future that is yet to come.
The Greenway Greenhouse Experience
Greenhouses allow producers to enjoy a year-round growing season while providing protection from devastating crop failures that are likely to occur elsewhere, but with property values rising to $1 million or more per acre, there is little to no room for error, and that’s where expertise and technology come into play. One perfect example of success from this kind of ingenuity can be found by looking no further than the brand new, state-of-the-art Greenway Greenhouse in Kingsville, Ontario.
Greenway has completed the retrofit of its state-of-the-art greenhouse facility measuring more than 41,000 square feet, and as a result, it’s primed and ready to produce high-quality cannabis, with the capacity to expand processing by another 331,000 square feet. It is also utilizing a skilled workforce while implementing innovative growing protocols and technology to transform phenotype genetics into high-yielding cannabis plants, setting the ideal example for cannabis producers who’d like to become part of Southwestern Ontario’s agriculture sector.
