Cukes on display: Great Lakes Greenhouses looks forward to CPMA debut

Leamington, Ontario-based Great Lakes Greenhouses knows the business of cucumbers. 

The longstanding, family-run operation started in 1983 with just five acres of land.

“Today, we are one of the largest cucumber growers in North America,” said Tina Harder, account manager of food safety, of the company’s now-120 acre-sized facility of greenhouses in which cucumbers are grown hydroponically year-round. 

Great Lakes grows over six varieties of seedless cucumbers, Harder said. And its greenhouses can produce up to 40 million cucumbers annually through an extensive and innovative hydroponic process that includes:

• In-house propagating of cucumbers from seed for higher quality and better disease control;
• Incorporating the use of carbon dioxide to optimize plant growth;
• In-house grafting of plants for disease resistance; and
• Rearing and harvesting beneficial insects on-site on a commercial scale.

Harvesting its own insects? Harder explains.

“We have introduced bee colonies into our facilities to achieve natural pollination,” she said. “These beneficial insects are raised on-site and then used extensively throughout the greenhouses to help control pests and disease naturally, helping to reduce pesticide use.”

It’s a yearslong, well-developed growing formula at Great Lakes, helped along by the over 350 staff members that include a biologist, growing experts and information technology specialists, among others, Harder said. 

All about sustainability

Being as sustainable as possible in its growing processes is a big focus of Great Lakes, too. Composting is one major component of those efforts, but Great Lakes doesn’t stop there.

“Our greenhouses run entirely off the grid. One hundred percent of the electricity the company uses is produced in-house via an efficient co-generation system run on natural gas,” Harder said. “We also recover excess heat from our modern boilers and use it to heat [portions] of our greenhouses. All water used in our operations is recycled and purified, including captured run-off from rain. Reducing our carbon footprint continues to be a primary focus.”

Going organic

In 2018, the company added 32 acres of organic produce to its operations, including mini eggplant, sweet bell peppers and tomatoes on the vine, Harder said. 

The company is looking forward to showing off, for the first time, both its organic and conventional produce to attendees of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s 96th annual convention and trade show, set for April 5-7. Great Lakes is one of over 270 companies set to feature their offerings during the trade show portion of the event.

Related: Face to face again: CPMA ready for first in-person convention in 2 years

“As first-time exhibitors, Great Lakes Greenhouses is delighted to showcase our organic and conventional commodities this year,” Harder said of this year’s in-person event, which had to be canceled in 2020 and was held only virtually in 2021. “After attending previous CPMA shows, we decided to join in as an exhibitor. Then, the pandemic hit, so everything was delayed, making this year all the more exciting.”

Great Lakes pride

The company continues its mission to provide crisp, fresh-tasting cucumbers that also come complete with a Great Lakes quality stamp of approval. 

“Hand in hand with the pride we hold in the quality of our products is our commitment to maintaining excellent food safety standards,” Harder said. “Grounded in more than 38 years of knowledge, expertise and experience … we remain committed to providing a safe, trusted and consistent product, while always striving to stay on the forefront of innovation.”