As both mechanical engineer and the son of a ‘cash crop’ farmer, Johnny Landschoot had a solid foundation for becoming owner and operator of Landschoot Farms/Magri Greenhouses. Since taking over the family business in Leamington (Ontario), Canada, in January 2021, he has implemented several measures to improve the efficiency of the greenhouses by reducing inputs and introducing energy-saving measures, without compromising on quality and production. In 2023, the farm became one of the first in the region to spray-coat its greenhouses using a drone.
When his father-in-law announced his plans to retire from his cucumber farm, Magri Greenhouses, Johnny Landschoot welcomed the opportunity to enter the greenhouse world. “It had been in my wife’s family for a long time, having been started by her grandfather Dominic in the 1950s. Her father Tom had subsequently run the company for 40-plus years. At that time, I was working at Aphria/Tilray on the design and operation of cannabis oil extraction facilities. But the house that still stands on the property is where my wife and her father grew up. There’s a lot of family history on the farm, and that’s a foundation we wanted to build on,” he says.
Mechanical engineer
There is no doubt that his background comes in useful with the mechanical systems in the greenhouses, and in terms of setting parameters and understanding data from the computer systems. Landschoot started his career as a mechanical engineer at the Imperial Oil refinery in Sarnia and continued in oil refining (although cannabis) in Leamington, prior to making the change to greenhouses.
“There’s not a lot of difference between reading charts from a climate computer and analysing data at an oil refinery! But you also need a ‘green thumb’, of course,” he continues. “I grew up on a ‘cash crop’ farm − my father grew soybeans, wheat and so on − and I’ve always been interested in greenhouses because you can control so many variables compared to growing outside. But it is a more complex environment, so it has been a steep learning curve for me. I’m thankful to have access to a network of people who are willing to share their knowledge and insights.”
A family affair
Now that the farm is owned by Landschoot and his wife, it is still very much a family affair. “My father-in-law, Tom Magri, comes to the farm every day. I appreciate having a second set of eyes and benefiting from all his experience,” explains Landschoot. “Besides that, our kids − aged 6, and 3 − come here all the time. If the forklift isn’t driving down the corridor, then the kids are driving Power Wheels or scooters. Having grown up in a crop environment, I want to give them the same kind of experience and instil in them the same kind of passion for farming.”
Ben Klassen − the resident ‘jack of all trades’ − and the team of 9 migrant workers from Mexico feel like part of the family too: “The ‘newest’ is in his fourth season year with us, and many have been coming for 25-plus years”.
A close eye on irrigation
The oldest greenhouse on the farm was built in 1958 as a small starter house for field crops. Around 0.2 ha (half an acre) of wood-framed glass houses came next in 1961, followed shortly afterwards by another 0.2 ha of aluminium-framed glass houses in 1963. In the 1990s, a further 1.6 ha of hoop-style greenhouses − double-poly with a metal frame − were added.
The farm specializes in long English cucumbers and produces four or five different varieties, all from De Ruiter Seeds. Propagation is done by a local company, Ontario Plant. The young plants are then put onto Grodan slabs. “We use a Priva climate computer and Grodan’s e-Gro platform − which is constantly fed with data from around 10 GroSens sensors we’ve installed in interesting and representative spots − to keep a close eye on irrigation and the root zone. In fact, the climate overview and the overnight dry-down data is the first thing I check every morning to guide my irrigation strategy,” states Landschoot.
Openness and length
He regularly switches to different varieties based on the results from his ongoing small-scale variety trials. “We have a low-wire Dutch umbrella system, so the openness of the plant is important because things can get bushy on the low wire. Sizing is also important, as cucumbers are sold by the piece/length rather than by the kilo in Canada, so we’re constantly aiming to get as many pieces as we can into the longer category.”
After harvesting, the cucumbers are packed at RTM Farms, which is owned by his brother-in-law. “From there, they are distributed all over North America. We believe that the key to success lies in openness, communication and delivering on your promises, and we also prioritize dependable quality and shelf life to maintain relationships.”
All the original greenhouses on the site are still in use today. They are controlled by the climate computer, with steam-heat/natural gas boilers and liquid CO₂ supplementation. Landschoot takes a preventive approach to crop protection based on biologicals against thrips, spider mites and powdery mildew, with extra applications in hotspots if the pressure is high: “We will periodically supplement this with chemicals if necessary.”
Efficiency projects
Although the farm’s greenhouses have a long history, they are still suitable for growing high-quality cucumbers. “We have a ‘creatively practical’ mindset and like to turn what we have into what we want rather than building something completely new. We drew up a 10-year plan of improvement projects to improve efficiency to remain competitive for hopefully the next 60 years,” says Landschoot.
“The price of cukes hasn’t risen much over the past few years in Canada, so we must either produce more of them, or produce them more cost efficiently by reducing our inputs. By focusing on the data, we’ve already been able to make various gains. For example, by analysing the flow rates, we’ve found the optimum CO₂ dosing level and venting strategy to keep the plants happy and still reduce our CO₂ bill.”
Reducing energy consumption
Since the price of energy is likely to remain high in the longer term, the farm owner is also strongly focused on reducing energy consumption. “We’re participating in an energy conservation programme with our natural gas provider, Enbridge. They’ve worked with other growers and have energy calculation models for different types of greenhouses. They helped us to analyse our existing energy consumption and predict the potential savings based on various investments. They also offered rebates or funding towards the installation costs. That helped us to prioritize our next steps based on the ROI and accelerate our progress, so it’s now more like a 5-year plan,” he states.
Building envelope improvements
A large focus has been on the building envelopes themselves. Retaining heat in colder months and letting more of the light into the greenhouse have been two key priorities. Some of the oldest glass structures have been converted to poly and the vents have been enlarged.
In the summer, light and heat can work against production in the glass houses. For this reason, Landschoot uses a coating: “Without the coating, the environment in the glass houses is a lot harsher than in the poly greenhouses when the sun is strong. In fact, the difference between the indoor climates means it’s almost like having two farms, which makes it extra difficult to achieve uniform crop production.”
“I like the ReduFuse IR product because it keeps some of the infrared heat outside the greenhouse, while still allowing the natural light in. As soon as the coating was applied, we noticed a 4ºC drop in the indoor temperature, which creates a better plant-growing environment and working environment for our crew. It also means that we’re no longer only venting on temperature, at the risk of also losing humidity that we’d prefer to retain. In addition, the ReduFuse IR diffuses the light and eliminates shadows, supporting improved crop uniformity and light utilization,” adds Landschoot.
“Since using a coating for the glass houses, we’ve seen better crop health due to less stress and lower disease pressure. This has helped us to maintain more consistent production right through to the end of our growing cycle, which is a little longer than normal, resulting in higher production overall.”
Flexibility of a drone
The coating is applied every April and then removed using ReduClean in September. “In the first two years, a coating was applied whenever the spraying helicopter was in town. Earlier this year, we met Drone Spray Canada. They were looking to branch out from crop spraying into coatings, so we struck a deal and became their first greenhouse customer. We saw it as an interesting learning experience for all of us. Mike Eaton from coating manufacturer Lumiforte even came down on the day to watch the drone in action and check the results, which was extra reassuring,” Landschoot recalls.
“They did a fantastic job. It’s a great solution for a small farm like ours because it’s very customizable. The drone was able to fly multiple passes, applying the coating with amazing precision each time, and easily navigated the nearby obstructions such as trees and hedgerows. We were even able to stand inside the greenhouse and point out any spots that needed extra spraying for optimum coverage. As an added bonus, we have the flexibility to arrange an extra application by the drone halfway through the season if necessary, rather than being dependent on the helicopter’s schedule.”
Future plans
So what’s next on the accelerated 5-year plan? “Our main priorities are energy conservation: overhauling of the glass houses, and then condensers for the boilers. The farm had a wonderful 20th century, and we are looking to ensure that it continues well into the 21st century,” he answers.
This focus supports a sustainable approach. “We calculated a baseline for the CO₂ emitted per cuke produced as an indication of our carbon footprint, and we’ve already reduced this, both by using less and picking more. Sustainability is important for us, because the farm has been around for a long time and we want to safeguard its future, which means we have to work in a sustainable way. We do have room to expand physically, both here and on the 17 ha site that we’ve purchased next door. But right now, it makes sense to keep these greenhouses going for another 50-plus years,” he concludes.
Text: Lynn Radford, images: Landschoot Farms
