Page 23 - FF USA Exchange Diary September 2016

DATE: Friday August 5 FROM: Susan Greenhouse, Red Hat Co-Op, Bowling.

This morning we went to Westland Green House in Red Cliff for a guided tour. Ralph Van Dam local owner
showed us through and explained how the green house is operated. It is a family business. Ralph explained how
the tomatoes are grown, coconut fibre and synthetic chemicals being used to aid growth. Bumble bees are bred
for pollination. We were given a taste of the cherry and Roma tomatoes. They did taste so nice! Lettuce greens
grew around the outside pipes near the tomatoes.

Further down from the tomatoes were rows and rows of egg plants and peppers. Workers are used in shifts. The
produce has to be graded by machine and the packaging is done manually. We were also shown the cool room.
The boxes of produce are loaded onto trucks ready to go to the distribution site e.g. Red Hat.
We then proceeded to Red Hat Co-op where the produce is sent to. We met our guide, donned a cap over our
heads and were told to follow her. We were requested not to take photographs. Red Hat is the central packaging,
marketing and distribution facility for independently owned greenhouses.

The packaging facility uses packaging lines, with a combination of manual and automated systems. Produce
brought in boxes or need to be boxed and packed as specified. They were shipped all over Canada, and to
Mexico and the USA.

We had lunch at Tops Pizza. After lunch we went to a very small lawn bowling club and Sandy Morris gave us a
few instructions. We were divided into teams of three and competed in the hot sun. There was much laughter as
the bowls went all over the place in some cases. A few of us appeared a bit unfit!

Some like me, needed a short nap before getting ready to go for the Ambassador and Host supper at Paradise
Valley. We met Margaret with her host, Pam. Daphne and Ron with their host joined us. Susan ordered salmon
with rice and vegetables and had a satisfying supper as did all the others. Dessert was ice cream at Tim Horton’s.
Geoff and Anna and hosts went to the local baseball game where the Medicine Hat team the Mavericks
won. Dinner was 'Taco in a Bag' - most interesting. This was another lovely day in Medicine Hat for all.