Sherrington, Quebec-based Vegpro International is investing $55 million into its first greenhouse complex, including packing lines, in Sherrington, part of the Montérégie region.
The company produces the Fresh Attitude brand lettuce sold at more than 2,500 Canadian retail stores, according to a news release.
Covering 10 acres, this greenhouse complex will allow the company to produce lettuce year-round in Quebec.
The first greenhouse is expected to open in the winter of 2022, with sales starting soon thereafter. This project will enable the production of more than 100,000 pounds of lettuce per week.
“With this investment, Vegpro will reduce its environmental footprint on different levels: less transportation of lettuce from our winter production site in Florida for products destined for eastern Canada, a reduced use of water and fossil energy, as well as the elimination of pesticides,” president and CEO Gerry Van Winden said in the release. “We make every effort to reduce the repercussions our activities have on the environment, and the construction of a greenhouse complex is another gesture that demonstrates our desire to be an environmentally responsible company.”
The greenhouse production system optimizes the use of water, light, space and nutrients, making it a sustainable method of farming. It will eliminate the need for pesticides, limit the use of water and growth substrates while enabling their recycling. Minimal use of fossil energy is also planned, thanks to the use of LED lighting and geothermal energy.
Greenhouse production is of itself a challenge in Quebec, since energy consumption is high during the process. The new greenhouse complex will allow for a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions with several strategies:
- Mobile panel technology;
- LED lighting system; and
- Installation of high-performance heat pumps, using groundwater for greenhouse heating and cooling.
Part of the heating needs that can't be provided by the heat pumps will be obtained through the recovery of residual heat emanating from the production of carbon dioxide for the carbon enrichment of crops. In the end, the greenhouse will consume a negligible amount of natural gas, according to the release. As a result, Vegpro estimates that the carbon footprint will be neutral.
“The project will also allow Vegpro to bring to market a new range of ‘teens'-type lettuces, which are larger and crispier than baby lettuce,” Luc Prévost, executive vice-president of sales and marketing, said in the release.
Two years after Phase 1 goes into service, another greenhouse with the same dimensions will double the production area. The total investment will then be more than $100 million.
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