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b112today at 8:50 AM1 replyview on HN

This only makes sense in certain circumstances I think. For example, shipping tomatoes from 5000km away when it's winter in Canada.

I recently did some research, and there are multiple local greenhouses around many large Canadian cities for just this reason. They are competitive in the winter, and sell to local supermarkets. The cost of the greenhouses vs shipping + loss.

And there is a loss in nutrition, when you harvest green and it takes weeks to hit the table, vs something picked yesterday and picked when actually ripe.

Of course, these are large warehouses, not typical greenouses.

So I guess the answer is, it can make sense in certain circumstances. A warmer place where you can grow fruit outside year round, not so much.


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anjeltoday at 2:25 PM

Canadian hydroelectric is the catalyst that makes winter hothouse produce cost competitive. Wealthy us elec producers have no incentive to match Canada's low cost of production. Indeed their incentives are rather contrary.

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