Green Fields is the biggest cannabis greenhouse in Israel, with a total surface encompassing 42,000 square meters. The facility was completed two years ago after visiting cannabis farms all over the world. "The design is based on the knowledge we have accumulated from our visits, providing us with a high-quality and innovative facility of our own," says Lior Pisso Saada, Business Development Adviser at Green Fields. On top of being the biggest cannabis greenhouse in the country, the company also invests a lot in technology, with the quality and consistency of the product and the patients' experience being their leading values. This even goes beyond cultivation. "We are focused on the retail aspect and keep innovation and improvements in our company's priorities."
Innovations
While Green Fields largely implements tradition in their cultivation process, innovation is used to further improve production. "For example, we invested in a special air treatment unit for each zone in the greenhouse. This system is designed to use minimal energy as it takes care of humidity, temperature, and airflow so that the air is as uniform as possible. Moreover, after learning the importance of root zone temperature, we installed a special system to control that as well. In our control room, we monitor and control root zone, irrigation, climate control, lighting, and more. Everything can easily be controlled from the computer by our team of agronomists." Throughout everything, sustainability remains an important factor for the company. "We use reverse osmosis and filtration systems to be able to reuse our water for irrigation. After it can no longer be used, we provide it to local municipalities who can use it to irrigate public gardens, for example."
The awareness of the importance of quality and quantity of light inside the greenhouse was present from the get-go. Green Fields chose to invest in a high-quality F-clean greenhouse cover with a very high transmittance factor, which will also allow UV wavelengths to enter the greenhouse.
Recently, the company partnered with Fluence and REMY to install the new Fluence VYPR lights. "We were looking for yearly consistency in yield and chemical profile. We have been working together to design the best lighting system for our needs. The project just reached the end of phase one, already covering over 10,000 square meters of canopy with the new VYPR lights." When it comes to such a project, the choice of partner you work with is crucial," says Lior Pisso Saada from Green Fields. "We based our decision on our own experience. We had already worked with REMY for two years, and we are very familiar with their professionalism and high-quality service." Elad Toby, Founder of REMY, explains that they designed the lighting system with the highest intensity they have seen in supplemental greenhouse lighting in Israel. "We are using the broad R3 spectrum VYPR lights with a control system that is tailor-made for their specific needs and requirements. The whole greenhouse will get uniform lighting from the combination of the sun, and the Fluence LED lights together, resulting in a uniform production."
Also, for Fluence, this is a special project with strong collaboration. "Fluence is proud to be the partner of choice together with REMY for Green Fields. For us, this is a huge project in one of the most attractive medical cannabis markets globally. Our lighting solutions coupled with our horticulture service from our cultivation experts will ensure consistent, high-quality cannabis will be accessible to Israeli patients and Green Fields customers." says Timo Bongartz, General Manager Fluence EMEA.
10 pharmacies
Green Fields' goal is simple: "We want to provide the best cannabis products to our customers." But that goes beyond cultivation. "In everything we do, we strive for the best. We are constantly looking for ways to improve and have a willingness to go the extra mile. Our vision is much bigger than the cultivation aspect only. We also want to have our own solution for the sales of our products." Now, the company is setting up a pharmacy chain, where they will be selling the medical cannabis grown in their facility. Such an endeavor is not common in Israel. "Setting up a whole pharmacy chain is a critical benefit for a company in such a competitive market. With 10 pharmacies, we hope to be one of the biggest chains of cannabis wholesale in the country by the end of the year."
Regulation barriers
The company is also leading an industry effort to improve regulation barriers. "When exporting cannabis from Israel to Europe, companies run into challenges. While the Israeli quality requirements are at the level of EU GMP, it is not considered the same. We have unique Israeli regulations, and we want to level them to the European ones. That way, Israeli growers would be able to export their products to Europe, as there is a lot of interest. We are already in discussions with the Ministry of Health and continue our efforts to improve the situation for Israeli companies."
For more information:
Green Fields
www.mgf.org.il
REMY
www.remy.co.il
Fluence
fluence-led.com