The origins of the nursery of Howard Huy date back to 1960, when Howard’s father John started the company in Leamington, Ontario (CA). Ever since he was a child, Howard spent a lot of time in the greenhouse. First it was only work, but more and more it became a ‘way of living’.
Innovative
Howard runs his own company since 1985. Over the years the company grew bigger and more vegetables were added to the assortment. At this moment Howard produces mini cucumbers, peppers and aubergines on a total scale of 8 hectares. Howard’s company was one of the first companies in his area to grow aubergines. “Innovation is very important for us, just like quality”, says Howard. “We choose the best varieties and try to get the maximum quality out of them through horticultural practices.”
People
Howard wants to emphasize that his company couldn’t be successful without his motivated workforce. “Although our 32 people are from different countries, we are really one team.”, he says. “The responsibilities are well divided over a number of specialized managers and a few times a year we get all employees together for a nice event. Our aim is to keep everybody happy. In that way they want to stay working for us and we have consistency in labour. Eventually, I am convinced that this is also translated into the quality of the product!”
Sustainable
Like most of the companies in the region, Howard controls pests and diseases completely with natural enemies, so that it’s not necessary to use any chemical control. “We know that food safety is very important for our customers, so we pay a lot of attention to it. Also, we try to make our cultivation as sustainable as possible. We use, for example, an energy curtain to reduce energy consumption. I am convinced that vegetables that are produced in greenhouses like ours are the safest and the best. I hope that many people will enjoy them!
Recipe