Re: Letter, “Greenhouses the culprits?”
Regarding the recent comment about Abbotsford’s proposed P3 water project and the impact of greenhouses.
The writer could not be more misinformed on the subject of greenhouses:
Greenhouses make far more effective use of land than field crops – estimates range from 5-10 times depending on the crop.
Greenhouses can be and are built on land which cannot support field crops as the land is simply devoid of sufficient nutrients to sustain the crop.
Greenhouses utilize a drip irrigation system which waters each plant individually. This is far more efficient than conventional sprinklers whereby much water is lost to evaporation
Many greenhouses utilize wells, capture rain water and recycle surplus water in detention ponds and holding tanks. The combination of these three techniques dramatically reduces the strain on municipal water supplies.
Greenhouses are a major employer in the Abbotsford area, with many providing year-round employment, not just seasonal jobs. These jobs are inside (not exposed to inclement weather), safe and reliable.
Without greenhouses, locally produced vegetables would not be able to meet demand, resulting in more importation from Mexico and other countries.
This importation clogs our roads, reduces air quality and would drive up costs.
The variety of produce would also suffer as many crops cannot be grown efficiently in a field environment.
The safety of greenhouse produce is far beyond that available in a field environment.
Scott Edwards