![]() ![]() We first created a database (FloriPEF-CR) to include the impact of everything from plastic to substrates to electricity, fuels, transportation, and crop protection tools. Raymond Scheepens: Over the past three years, we started working with a lot of parties within the greenhouse sector, as well as Wageningen University, because we saw that growers’ interest in calculating their carbon footprint was increasing. So why was the HortiFootprint Calculator developed, and what benefits can it provide to growers? I recently connected with Raymond Scheepens, Area Manager at MPS, to learn more.īrian Sparks ( Greenhouse Grower Senior Editor): Can you talk about what the HortiFootprint calculator is and how it works? “We appreciate the solutions MPS has provided to our industry, and we look forward to participating in their continued global sustainability efforts,” says Drew Young, Chief Horticulture Officer/Chief Safety Officer of Young’s Plant Farm. The partnership with the HortiFootprint Calculator was derived from an interest in quantifying a complete supply chain environmental impact vs. This positive experience led the Young’s team to pursue an MPS-GAP certification to promote an efficient approach of increasing the company’s sustainability efforts. The partnership with MPS began with the implementation of MPS-ABC in an effort to better quantify the company’s sustainability practices. Through research in conjunction with Auburn University and the USDA, it has successfully implemented a process to transform the entire tree, including the needles, into a soil substrate. In an effort to further achieve their goal of sustainability, Young’s Plant Farm produces a sustainable soil medium on site that reduces their environmental footprint. How a New Greenhouse Film Can Help Growers Boost Crop Yields It practices sustainability every day in many ways, including collection and filtration of water run-off, as well as water recycling for reuse in production, and research dedicated to selection of production varieties that require the least amount of chemical applications throughout the production process. With more than 3 million square feet of production space, this wholesale floricultural company produces annuals, perennials, foliage, and holiday crops for large retailers across the Southeast. in Auburn, AL, became the first North American bedding plant grower to use it. Shortly after Westerlay’s adoption of the HortiFootprint Calculator, Young’s Plant Farm, Inc. While this has been a good start, we were eager to work with MPS and the HortiFootprint Calculator so that we can benchmark against industry peers,” says Toine Overgaag, President of Westerlay. “Since 2020, we have been calculating our carbon footprint through a third-party service. For 2023, Westerlay is looking to add another 300,000 square feet of drain system. Westerlay reduced its natural gas usage by 11%, an amount in terms of carbon footprint equivalent to taking 29 cars off the road. ![]() Channeling the water enables a drier environment in the greenhouse and requires less heating to maintain temperature and humidity. Another payoff beyond the conservation of water has been a reduction in natural gas usage. These efforts at Westerlay build on past efforts such as installing a 300,000 square foot irrigation water recycling catch system in 2018 that reduced water use by 38%. ![]()
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