Resources

Impact on stakeholders and production

Shareholders

• The higher yields per acre result in a reduction in the acreage required allowing for production expansion without acquiring additional land.
• The reductions in annual fixed production costs due to a smaller footprint can be sufficient to make the annual loan repayment on a 5 year amortized loan.
• The ability to protect from heat and cold could result in the ability to reduce the number of geographic production locations from 5 to 2 or 3 resulting in a reduction in assets required to produce year round at multiple locations, a reduction in operating costs for the multiple locations and a reduction in the constant movement of personnel from one location to the next.
• The RRPS reduce water usage per ton of harvested fruit can be reduced by approximately 75% which could eliminate the need for further investment in increasing the water supply.
• If the retractable A Frame house is utilized, water from the gutters can be collected making the farms virtually water self sufficient.
• Future profits can be more secure since harvests can be protected from extreme weather conditions.
• The investment in the RRPS could be paid for in as little as one year if you have tomatoes when prices spike up to $25/ box.
• Investment in the RRPS is more interesting for those companies which own their land as opposed to those who lease their land.

Operations

Sales

• Tomatoes grown in the RRPS can be sold to both food service and grocery stores since they are always sliceable even when ripe.
• Sales can better respond to their customer's needs since production will have an easier time ensuring product is ready when the market requires it, instead of production determining when sales will have product to sell.
• Sales can communicate to its customers that they can supply "regardless of the weather"
• Sales can promote that their company is using the most sustainable food production system in the world.

Production

• Productivity in the open field has reached its maximum potential since the limiting factor is no longer varieties or nutrition. The major limiting factor is erratic weather. While retractable roofs have been in use for over 20 years, their use for vegetables is more recent meaning that yields can only increase over time as production managers learn how to best utilize their new tool.
• Harvests can be better timed since growth rates can be increased or decreased.
• Options for varieties are increased since insect and disease pressure will be managed more by managing the environment than by just working with the plant genetics and sprays.
• Staff working in under the retractable roof will be more efficient since they are protected from excessive cold, heat, wind and rain. Staff morale can increase and turnover can decrease due to the more pleasant work conditions.
• Daily labor requirements are more consistent throughout the production period, since the weather will no longer cause extreme increases or decreases in harvest volumes.
• It will be easier to grow organically since environmental extremes will be better managed.
• Production planning is easier since a wide variety of crops can be grown in the RRPS.