OCTOBER 2017 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC Nursery takes lean approach to waste


Van Belle focuses on improvement


by RONDA PAYNE ABBOTSFORD – The sleepy look of


Clayburn Village in Abbotsford certainly doesn’t reflect the growth happening at Van Belle Nursery. This thriving business has taken on a vast new space to make shipping easier and faster and BC Young Farmers members were treated to a tour of two of their facilities by staff horticulturalist Valerie Sikkema on a sunny weekday evening in August. “We do really like to do as much automation as possible,” Sikkema says as she points to a line that will soon be replaced. “One line is moving into the barn to become more efficient because the old one is obsolete. It gets too hot in the building.” The conveyor belt moves plants through boxing and packing. It was highly advanced 15 years ago; now it's history. “We were one of the first in the industry to


do Lean, but our systems have changed,” she explains. Lean is a methodology to create more value for customers while reducing waste. Van Belle continues to focus on Lean practices and evidence of that is present at all its facilities. Rice hull mulch is a byproduct of products like Uncle Ben’s parboiled rice. “We found a good use for it,” Sikkema says, though, even making use of a waste product has its issues. Van Belle has had challenges with shipping plants with the rice hull mulch across the border, despite the fact that the waste is created in the US. The nursery is prepared with documentation to address the concern if it comes up during shipping. “We recycle our water,” Sikkema adds to the list of


is ideal. The four tanks on site allow for slow drainage into Page Creek during rainy seasons and gradual use during dry periods.


Potless plants are one of the innvotive ways Van Bell Nursery is reducing waste, says horticulturist Valerie Sikkema. RONDA PAYNE PHOTO


“We can also pump water out of the creek,” she


explains. Van Belle also makes use of integrated pest management (IPM) methods to help control pests. With so many different varieties of plants, it’s natural to be dealing with a wide range of issues. “We get insects, we get mites, we get diseases,”


waste-reduction activities. “We have to constantly be modifying our pH.” Van Belle aims for a relatively neutral pH – 6 to 6.5


says Sikkema. “We have something like 400 different genera that we grow here. There’s something different in each row.” Every crop is walked to check for pest and disease issues and while no hives are maintained on site, the team at Van Belle is conscious to ensure bees are not killed. Another on-site activity is creating the soil mix for the plants. That soil, and the plants, are often


shipped without pots. This is made possible via the Ellepot system and Van Belle’s rocket liners. The liners hold the plants in place during cultivation, then plants are removed from the liners for boxing to be shipped. “We are hoping to get 10 years out of


these,” she says of the liners. “We wanted a tray with big drainage holes.” It also needed to fit exactly to the


benches, be sturdy and stand up to the company’s disinfection protocols. With the right fitting tray, Van Belle has moved from 640 trays per plant bench to 720. “We try to make it as easy as possible for our customers to not have to dispose of things,” Sikkema notes. “We’re always innovating.” Plant propagation at Van Belle is generally done from cuttings, according to Sikkema. Once those plants begin to grow, they spend time outside on the racks that allow them to roll under the pruner for a standard height “haircut”. Often, each liner has two viable cuttings pruned to the same height.


Much of the propagation material comes


from the site’s own plants. These plants include brands like Proven Winners and others that are exclusive to Van Belle. On-site innovation carries through to the new building where materials from all four Van Belle locations will come together for


shipping. “This is one way to improve efficiency,” says


Sikkema. “We can get the work done way more efficiently. We can create different growing zones with walls in the growing areas of the warehouse.” The Westbrook-designed greenhouse is also a


staging station for all plants to be delivered to and shipped out of. It makes use of LED light systems and a layered flooring from the Netherlands allows for slow drainage of water to the water recycling system. Van Belle Nursery strives for new ideas and


Sikkema says it’s all about learning. This innovative philosophy is apparent at all points of the company’s process.


17


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Built by BW GLOBAL Structures Inc. 29020 Fraser Highway Abbotsford, BC V4X 1G8 1-877-856-1303 or 1-604-856-1303 bw-global.com bwgreenhouse.com


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