JEM Farms is a third-generation greenhouse produce farm located in Ruthven/Kingsville Ontario, Canada. Currently, they are growing cucumbers, mini cucumbers, tomatoes, organic grape tomatoes, and beefsteak on 40 acres of the greenhouse. They expect to expand their greenhouse and have 49 acres by the Fall of 2021. In the future, they also hope to construct a two acres research and development facility where they will be doing different trials from seed varieties to LED lighting in greenhouses. They are already working together with the students of the University of Windsor regarding their lighting energy consumption.
Since 2018, JEM Farms has entered into an active collaboration with LetsGrow.com and our platform MyLetsGrow. Through a crop consultant, they were introduced to the possibilities of reading, visualizing, and analyzing data in order to grow smarter. Analyzing their data from the current process computer enabled them to compare their crop growth with other locations and intelligently control the climate in the greenhouse. Currently, LetsGrow.com even helps JEM Farms with making an accurate yield prediction. In this, LetsGrow.com offers them to take the next steps on their roadmap towards a fully data-driven greenhouse. For a number of years now the greenhouse of JEM Farms has been controlled with the iSii process computer of Hoogendoorn Growth Management
In 2021, the current iSii process computer will make way for Hoogendoorn’s latest innovation, IIVO. IIVO provides smart technology for greenhouse growers. The system is capable of monitoring, controlling, and maintaining any type of greenhouse. In this case, the data analyses of LetsGrow.com provides IIVO the ability to control the entire greenhouse in a modern and smart data-driven way.
This combination of disciplines enables JEM Farms to take its first steps toward automated greenhouse control. In this way, JEM Farms can grow as smart and efficiently as possible, but also in a sustainable way by reducing for example the use of water, energy, fertilizers integrated pest management where they are being trained.
Jamie Mastronardi, owner of JEM Farms, and head grower Blake Fischer believe that data is the key to solving the puzzle of sustainable growth without sacrificing the production or quality of the crops. He explains: “LetsGrow.com and the new IIVO system of Hoogendoorn Growth Management gives us complete detailed control over our greenhouses. Every parameter can be influenced by any other. This gives us the flexibility to achieve our goals of maximum production and high quality in the most sustainable way. With the precise and modern controlling through the IIVO and the comprehensive and optimal analyses of LetsGrow.com, we believe that we are more than ready for the future.
Paul J and Jamie Mastronardi are very satisfied with the cooperation between LetsGrow.com, Hoogendoorn Growth Management, and their partner Gryphon Automation, he says; “the team of Hoogendoorn, LetsGrow.com and Gryphon co-operate seamlessly to provide the solutions needed. It is almost like they know our needs before we can communicate them. Their attention to every detail allows us to walk in, flip the switch, and grow!”
