Recycled Rockwool
It starts with the type of material we use to grow our plants. Since we grow our vegetables hydroponically, we omit using any type of soil. Instead, we use fully recycled rockwool as a growing media and soil substitute. Once we’re done using the rockwool, it goes back to our suppliers, and they continue reusing it.
Pollination
After the vegetables have been planted using the eco-friendly rockwool, we wait for each of them to produce a flower. In order for our plants to further develop into delicious peppers and eggplants, each flower has to be pollinated. To do so we bring in hundreds of bees to circulate our greenhouses and pollinate each flower. Without these champion pollinators, our plants would never come to fruition.
Recycled Water
Once pollinated, our plants need a lot of water and we don’t hydrate them with just any water. We use the water gathered from the roofs of both of our greenhouses. By utilizing a completely closed system, we also collect the water that the plants don’t drink and store it for irrigation or use it when mixing the plant’s nutrient solution.
Recycled CO2
Another way we practise sustainability at St. David’s is by reusing the CO2 emitted from our natural gas boilers that heat the greenhouses in the winter. Since plants love CO2, and releasing it back into the atmosphere contributes to the effects of global warming, we decided to cap it and funnel it back into our greenhouses for them to enjoy.
Natural Pesticide
As a sustainable business, our team understands the harmful effects certain chemicals (like the ones used in pesticides to rid plants of pests and diseases) can have on our environment. To avoid this, we bring in insects like amblyseius swirskii’s to act as a natural pesticide. These insects hunt down any problematic pests that pose a threat to our vegetable plants.
Biomass For Local Farmers
Our promise is to be as carbon neutral as possible, and it doesn’t end when our plants stop growing. Even after our plants have reached their lifespan, we ensure that they are disposed of responsibly. You see, every plant is used as biomass—where the vines and leaves become a source of renewable energy. This is why we pass them off to local farmers instead of throwing them out. They extract the methane and use it to generate electricity for their farms. Talk about the circle of life!
If this sounds like a lot of work and dedication, you’re right, it is. But when you’re a part of a team that grows the best European bell peppers, long hot peppers and eggplants in North America,
nothing else will do.