"The leafy greens are nearly at perfection, and I think all of our customers would agree." So explained Makenzie Jones, who, although admittedly a little biased – he's the head grower of those greens, after all – is honest in his assessment. The produce coming out of the Mnogin Greenhouse is by all accounts a feast for the senses, so tasty there have been reports of spinach despisers converted into spinach lovers.
The power of the produce is strong, And the plan is to keep getting better. In December of 2022, the Mnogin Greenhouse (pronounced Mi-noh-gin, with a hard 'g') had just been placed at Jocko Point, still waiting for the final setup. Picture four structures, each about the size of a trailer on a big rig. Inside, the walls are lined with shelves. Tubes send water to the plants, and special lights mimic the sun above.
It's more complex than all of this, of course, and speaking with Jones, who earned his biology degree at Nipissing University, you hear a lot about Ph balances, EC measurements, and more technical plant banter than you knew existed. All in the pursuit of perfecting the way to nurture seedlings to become delicious salads. It's an art and a science, and the operation recently received a boost by way of some funding from IION Innovation Initiatives Ontario North.
Initially, the Northern Ontario Heritage Funding Corporation and FedNor contributed $270,000 to launch the project, and the additional funding from IION has allowed for some fine-tuning of the operation, mainly regarding improving growing conditions.
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