Great Lakes Greenhouses Inc. is taking the matter to the Normal Farm Practices Protection Board. The company alleges the Municipality of Leamington bylaw is restricting a normal farm practice. “What has transpired is Great Lakes and I presume there to be a fair number of others that will take this to a situation called the Normal Farm Practices Board because lighting is considered a normal farm practice as it is writing in the regulations,” says Joseph Sbrocchi, general manager of the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers Association. Sbrocchi says the greenhouse sector wants to work with municipalities to come up with a solution that is right for all.
Council on Tuesday evening agreed to a new Light Abatement By-law for greenhouse operators. Under the rules operators will be required to close greenhouse curtains an hour before sunset until an hour before sunrise. “It’s regrettable because some of this is going to be very difficult to accomplish,” said Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers Association general manager Joseph Sbrocchi. The curtains can be 90 per cent closed from 2 a.m. until 6 a.m. to help prevent a night sky glow. “The blackout curtains need to be open a smidge to allow heat and humidity out because those lights can do damage to the crops if they’re not vented,” Sbrocchi said.