As 2023 draws to a close, it seems a natural inclination to take stock of the past 12 months and plan for the year that awaits.
Greenhouse Canada has seen quite a few changes in the past year (hello, new editor!) and 2024 shaping up to be quite transformative and exciting for the magazine and its readership.
In 2024, we are excited to provide more opportunities for learning, knowledge-sharing, and networking. We’re also eager to explore new opportunities within the greenhouse community and its allied trades to share the latest in products, technology, and services. Most importantly, we are looking forward to facilitating the conversations and connections we all need to have/make to support the resiliency of this industry.
Resiliency was the theme of the Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE) Summit in Leamington this past October. Energy was a big focus of the day, and how greenhouse operations, whose demand for power is only increasing, can manage profitability in an age where energy prices are climbing. Attendees heard from Dr. Bruce Bugbee, from Utah State University, whose work with NASA has made him one of the world’s leading experts on space farming. He spoke at length about harnessing the power of the sun and, what he called, ‘electric light agriculture.’ Researchers from GLASE also provided overviews of cutting-edge research on lighting, greenhouse controls and decarbonization.
Dr. Fadi Al-Daoud, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ (OMAFRA) Greenhouse Vegetable Specialist, was also on hand to provide a comprehensive overview of some of his research and that of his colleagues at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) on lighting. Much of this can be found in the October 2023 issue of Greenhouse Canada. In this issue, we feature more lighting research (page 40), as it relates to the use of light abatement curtains. The article is a handy reference for commercial greenhouse growers looking to save on energy.
We are paying close attention to cannabis production in this issue as well, in particular, how to cultivate a happy and healthy foundation for this crop. Read more on pages 8 and 30. Our ‘Inside View’ columnist, Gary Jones, also takes a stroll down memory lane (page 70) as we mark five years since cannabis has been legal to grow in Canada.
This month, Dr. Mohyuddin Mirza offers more advice for growing vegetables through the winter months. Part 2 of this series focusses on cucumbers and can be found on page 26. We also get an update on aquaponics in Canada (page 14) and take a deep dive on water treatment and how to get the most out of recycled water (page 34).
Before we say goodbye to 2023, I would like to take a minute to express my deepest gratitude to our contributors, readers, advertisers, sponsors and colleagues who continue to show up and support this publication. Happy holidays, everyone, and cheers to a healthy and profitable New Year!
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