Alberta, Canada: Hydroponic Lettuce Revolution In Bruderheim
Arthur Green
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January 29, 2019
A look at the new addition to Thiel’s Greenhouses in Bruderheim, Alberta.Thiel’s Greenhouses has invested in this new technology from Dry Hydroponics to mass produce fresh lettuce. Arthur C Green/The Record
Growing green and growing clean, in lettuce Thiel’s Greenhouses trusts.
An Ontario-Alberta-Netherlands connection has led to the sky glowing pink over Thiel’s Greenhouses in Bruderheim, Alberta.
Since 1958, Thiel’s Greenhouses have been serving the Fort Saskatchewan, Bruderheim, Lamont and Vegreville areas. The company has been focused on creating superior product quality and with the recent upgrade they look to enter a new market.
Nadine Stielow grew up in the Bruderheim area and as a little girl, she frequented the business she now has made her own. Arthur C Green/Submitted Image
Owner Nadine Stielow grew up in the Bruderheim area and as a little girl, she frequented the business she now has made her own. Stielow is taking Thiel’s Greenhouses to the next level of plant cultivation with the installation of a hydroponic system to grow lettuce.
Stielow was thrilled to give Postmedia a tour of the brand-new equipment purchased from Dry Hydroponics in the Netherlands. Stielow made the decision to purchase after visiting with Dry Hydroponics in NL where they have demonstration/trial greenhouses showcasing their product.
“I was there last January to learn from them,” Stielow told The Record.
The state of the art system uses cultivation ponds built of cement. Nutrient-rich water is added to the ponds and the crops grow in crop holders placed on floats. Arthur C Green/The Record
The Dry Hydroponics system is suitable for short-cycle crops, like lettuce, herbs and flowers according to the company’s website. Thiel’s Greenhouses will be able to produce 1500-1900 heads of fresh lettuce a week with the new equipment.
“The state of the art system uses cultivation ponds built of cement. Nutrient-rich water is added to the ponds and the crops grow in crop holders placed on floats,” Stielow said.
The design has been patented by Dry Hydroponics and allows crops to acquire sufficient amounts of water, light, nutrients, CO2 and oxygen, Stielow told Postmedia.
The designs give an ideal microclimate and allow the crops to grow in a natural way.
A shot of Thiels Greenhouses in the night sky. Residents of Bruderheim will now see a glow of pink in the evenings. Arthur C Green/The Record
‘The Ontario-Alberta-Netherlands Connection’
Thiel’s Greenhouses, which is located in Bruderheim, Alberta uses a hydroponic supplier based in Ontario named AMA Horticulture.
“I also get some of my spring plant supplies from AMA Horticulture as well,” Stielow said. “Shawn Mallen who is a specialist with that company is here helping with the setup.
Capping an incredible wk with Fri goodbye/vaarwell to my ON-AB-NL #DreamTeam
For NOW! Time to GROW #epic #finalbuild #VeniVidiVici @amahort @Dry_Hydroponics @PhilipsHorti @BallHort @AFSC_AB @Bruderheim @ThreeSixtyAB @AsGr8AsHome @1BIOBEST #liveit12:08 AM - Jan 28, 2019
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Martin Naaborg is a specialist with Dry Hydroponics and has traveled nearly 7,000 kilometers to install the system for Thiel’s Greenhouses.
“Both Shawn and Martin were here for the week to consult in the final stages of the project,” Stielow said. “AMA Horticulture is the Canadian dealer for Dry Hydroponics. Both companies are stellar in the tech support and overall help they provide to customers.”
‘Growing clean and looking to enter new markets’
Thiel’s Greenhouses has invested in this new technology from Dry Hydroponics to mass produce fresh lettuce. They will in turn market this product to local consumers and the high-end restaurants.
“To be considered organic in Canada plants must be grown in soil,” Stielow said. “I am growing clean; no pesticides will be put on our plants. I do not use chemicals in our greenhouses.”
The water heaters that were installed at an additional cost. The system is state of the art. Arthur C Green/The Record
You can walk up to any plant and eat it without a worry about it affecting your health. But this type of growing is not considered organic, Stielow added.
“Everything is being started from seed,” Stielow said. “We obtained seeds that are specifically created for hydroponic growing.”
Stielow admits that although lettuce is her company’s main focus right now, she would like to add different products as time progresses.
“I would love to try growing some new products such as bok choi and lemongrass,” Stielow said. “There are others I would like to try but I won’t go too crazy yet.”
Arthur C Green/The record
If you would like to visit Thiel’s Greenhouses, they are located on 4916 45 Street in Bruderheim. Or they can be found on the web at www.thielsgreenhouse.ca
“Our mission is simple,” Stielow said. “To supply the highest quality plants, products and services for our customers”