Future plans include expansion into protective cropping, but having just experienced one of the hottest summers on record, the immediate plan is to split the single growing system into three, with larger holding tanks so the water doesn't get as hot. Under the present arrangement, three or four days of continuous high temperatures can lead to crop failure. The single system consists of 65 tables x 18 metre lengths, with 7- 8 runs per table. As a result, in summer, the large surface area heats the solution quickly. At the other end of the climate spectrum, as winter approaches, the water temperature often drops below zero.
Frosts are also common.
During these times, the solution temperature is kept at 6 degrees with the aid of a heater, and the lettuce survive. The selection of winter varieties is crucial to maintaining year-round production. Packing under cover and product presentation are important steps in their quality control. We increase our shelf life to 2 weeks because we pack our lettuce in water containers, with the product and container covered with a plastic carry bag. Presenting their product in the form of a self-contained crisper has allowed the Hinchcliffe's to command a higher price for their product.