Features
FROM THE EDITOR: Celebrating passion, ingenuity and dedication

My first couple of months as Greenhouse Canada’s new editor have been a wonderful whirlwind of new faces, places, concepts and inspiration. 

Recently, I had the opportunity to tour a commercial greenhouse operation for the first time and was struck by its magnitude. I’ve always known these are very big operations, but it wasn’t until I walked amongst millions of plants in various stages of growth being tended to by countless systems and people that I came to appreciate just how immense they truly are.

The mind boggles at the responsibility that comes with operating such a vast enterprise in today’s world and yet, there seems to be so many capable and passionate people out there who are not only keen to the challenge but excel at rising to it.

This month, in fact, Greenhouse Canada is taking the opportunity to recognize the ingenuity and dedication of several individuals who do just that. 

Greenhouse Canada’s Top 4 Under 40 awards were handed out to four very deserving individuals at Grower Day 2023. The award seeks to honour the work of the best and brightest in greenhouse horticulture and allied trades. 

While our Top 4 come from different sectors of the industry, they all possess that passion for lifelong learning and innovation that will help fortify the commercial greenhouse community for years to come. They are proven leaders in their field by welcoming others into the fold, offering guidance and support and sharing their expertise to improve efficiencies and outcomes. You can read more about these very special individuals on page 16.

Additionally, Greenhouse Canada’s 2023 Grower of the Year was also announced and celebrated at this year’s Grower Day event. Sunrise Greenhouses’ Rodney Bierhuizen has been named this year’s winner. Those who nominated Rodney praised his integrity and passion for innovation, as well as his dedication to helping support the younger generation of greenhouse operators. More on this year’s Grower of the Year will be featured in an upcoming issue.

In the meantime, our coverage of 2023 California Spring Trials (CAST) is a testament to the resiliency of California’s growers and breeders, at whom Mother Nature threw a number curve balls this past year. Check out the pictures and insights on the event starting on page 10.

Also in this issue, a greenhouse in Hamilton, Ontario, has seen some success in using nanobubble technology in their irrigation system. The technology comes with a hefty price tag but one year in, this greenhouse operation is already reaping the benefits. Read more on page 24.

Finally, I offer a reminder to readers to please reach out to me with any questions, concerns, observations or story ideas. Or, even better, come find me at Cultivate ’23 in Columbus, I’m always up for a chat!