Horticultural evolution is the prediction of cannabis grower
THE island’s horticulture industry will evolve again with the help of cannabis growers, the new occupiers of the recently-closed Fresh Guernsey Herbs site have said.
Licensed cannabis firm, the House of Green, has taken on a long-term lease of the site in Les Abreuveurs in St Sampson’s and is in discussions with several growers to keep the use of empty glasshouses as horticultural, rather than lose them to agricultural use.
Director Marc Leadbeater said it was a good thing that the Les Abreuveurs vinery will remain in horticultural use.
‘It’s a special site, because of the decent size it is,’ he said.
‘There’s a lot of empty sites in the island due to the demise of the tomato growing era, but we believe horticulture will evolve again and is in the process of evolving now with cannabis.
‘It’s something that everyone wants to get involved in, in fact one person told us they recently took down all the glasshouses they had, then with this industry coming along they were disappointed they had done it too soon.’
The company, which has invested in £25,000-worth of security at its £2m. facility on the Pitronnerie Road Industrial Estate, has said it will not be changing much at its new premises, except to install security measures.
‘Fresh Guernsey Herbs has only just left,’ said CEO Paul Smith.
‘You can see where they’ve tilled the soil so it looks ready to go more or less.
‘We’ll have to test it and maybe clean it by planting hemp, which extracts impurities in the soil, but it’s a great site.
‘It’s just under five acres and has about five or six large glasshouses – we’ll use every last bit.’
The recent closure of Fresh Guernsey Herbs was considered a loss to the island’s troubled horticultural industry, however, the growers now think this could be the start of a whole new era for Guernsey.
‘We’re proud to be growing in Guernsey and using these sites,’ added Mr Leadbeater.
‘We were based in the US because that is our biggest marketplace, but both of us are local and we want to drive business here in the island.
‘Really this industry has come at a great time for the island, it’d be great to rejuvenate the horticultural industry and not just with cannabis, but maybe organic veg or lavender.
‘We’re also helping local cannabis growers with applications and in talks with several to save even more vinery sites and glasshouses – it’s great that people have embraced it.’
House of Green is looking to start growing its main crop in March, followed by a harvest in June.
