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that’s a lot of tomatoes: It was only 18 degrees outside, but the H2Gro Greenhouses on Pletcher Road were hot and bursting with sunny red “tomatoes on the vine.” Plant manager Eric Toye said there are 150,000 tomato plants inside the 12-acre greenhouse complex and it produces approximately 6.5 million tomatoes each year.
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H2GROW: Tomatoes thrive on planet-saving system in Youngstown
The Niagara region enjoyed a burst of winter sun Tuesday, but inside the H2Grow Greenhouses in Youngstown, it felt like a beautiful summer day.
The tomatoes were ripe on the sky-high vines in the half-mile long greenhouses, and the bees were humming as they flitted about pollinating flowers at the top of the giant plants.
The pair of Pletcher Road greenhouses are so environmentally cutting-edge that a crew from the Discovery Channel was there recently to shoot a June segment for the show “Planet Earth.”
One of the reasons for the TV producer’s interest is that the H2Gro Greenhouses are heated with an unusual process created by its two parent companies.
“It’s all certified green energy,” said Eric Toye, general manager of the greenhouses.
The complicated heating process involves several forms of energy reuse.
A parent company, Innovative Energy Systems, converts gas emissions from a nearby landfill into electrical power, which it sells to the community. The landfill is owned by the second parent company, Modern Disposal, and its process of turning waste gases into energy reduces unfriendly emissions equivalent to planting 130,000 acres of forest, Toye said.
Then, water used to cool the engines at the energy plant is channeled over to the greenhouses to create a balmy year-round growing season.
As a result, the thousands of plants strung from the ceilings appear vibrant and lush, their roots imbedded in a slender row of coconut husk mulch imported from Sri Lanka.
Visitors might feel as if they’ve stepped into a jungle garden, but the 30 or so workers who pick the plants behave as if it were a normal 12-acres of farmland, only without the misery-causing elements of ice, snow and rain.
There will be 6.5 million tomatoes grown in the facility and shipped to many local and national companies — including the meticulously environmentally conscious Whole Foods Market, which sent representatives to tour the facility before signing a contract, Toye said.
Clearly a man who enjoys working in summer climes regardless of the weather outside, he adds: “It’s quite amazing.”
Contact reporter Michele DeLuca at
282-2311, ext. 2263.
- Communities
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LEWISTON: Historic caboose pulls into Silo
Operator plans on using train as new ice cream shop along waterfront.
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LEW-PORT: Students, teachers defend programs
A parent defending Advanced Placement classes, young musicians telling the school board of their love for the trumpet and a high school principal recognizing hard-working students and the best graduation rate in Niagara County, all brought resounding applause to the crowd of more than 95 teachers, parents and taxpayers at Tuesday’s regular meeting of the Lewiston-Porter school board.
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LEW-PORT: District targeted for audit
The office of the State Comptroller has begun an audit of the Lewiston-Porter School District, a representative told the Niagara Gazette Tuesday.
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NIAGARA FALLS: Menu changing at Club Ultra
Craig Simon was reading online classified ads this past fall looking for a new business opportunity.
What he found was a former Falls hotspot in need of another chance at success.
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TOWN OF NIAGARA: Residents sound off on offender
Angry residents made their feelings known about a registered sex offender living near them without their knowledge at a block club meeting Tuesday night.
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FEATURES: Bringing back Pine Avenue
It’s a good thing he’s an optimistic guy, Ernie Lucatano has a big job to do.
Lucantonio has got to convince local businesses to re-join the beleaguered Pine Avenue Business Association.
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FEATURES: Hospital seeks more super beds
Someone without medical expertise might call them “Super Beds.”
The experts simply consider them important equipment for tending stroke patients and Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center hopes to be able to purchase more of them.
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LEWISTON: New and improved library open for business
Last week, the Lewiston Public Library had to turn people away as staff updated the building to increase efficiency, cut costs and provide a more comfortable experience for visitors. The library has re-opened its doors and staff are welcoming back the public to make use of the now greener facility.
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NIAGARA FALLS: Gearing up for Lewiston Road work
The city’s engineer is expecting work to begin soon on the long-awaited reconstruction of Lewiston Road.
City Engineer Tom Radomski said a project meeting to discuss the reconstruction schedule is set for later this week and he’s anticipating the installation of containment units for runoff water at the lower end of the street in a matter of weeks.
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STATE PARKS: Fees expected to rise this year
Visitors to the statewide parks system during the 2010 season should expect to pay more to enjoy the facilities, including higher fees at golf courses and to rent picnic pavilions.
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