During the Canadian Greenhouse Conference Bus Tour we had the chance to visit St. David's Hydroponics; one of the largest bell pepper growers in the Niagara Peninsula.
St. David's was founded in 1985 by Dutch immigrants. They currently operate all Venlo-style greenhouses in Beamsville and Niagara-on-the-Lake on a total of 38 hectares. Now, the foundation has been laid for another 10 hectare greenhouse, at the phase four expansion of the operations in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The growth of the hydroponic operation is driven by the increasing demand for safely and responsibly grown produce. The grower markets all of its peppers to retailers in the greater Niagara region, as well as to grocery chains across Canada and the United States.
During our visit, head grower Marty Hendriksen explained how they integrated sustainable production practices and technologies in order to meet water legislation and environmental regulations.
