Pure Sunfarms Becomes First B.C. Cannabis Producer to Secure Funding for Wildlife Enhancement Project
DELTA, British Columbia, Aug. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pure Sunfarms Corp. (“Pure Sunfarms”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Village Farms International, Inc. (Nasdaq: VFF), is pleased to announce it has completed the first phase of its wildlife enhancement project through the Beneficial Management Practices program.
The initiative will transform 1.5 acres of Pure Sunfarms’ Delta property to create a natural habitat supporting native bird and aquatic species. The 2023/24 year marks the first year the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food allowed cannabis producers to participate without ‘Farm Class’ land and make use of the cost-sharing incentive program for environmental restoration work.
“At Pure Sunfarms, we care deeply for the land on which we operate, and we want to minimize our impact so future generations can enjoy it as well. This focus on sustainability drives every part of our cultivation business,” said Orville Bovenschen, President of Pure Sunfarms. “I want to thank the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture for including cannabis producers in their initiatives. It marks a huge step forward in recognizing our business as an important contributor to agriculture in British Columbia.”
As part of the enhancement project, Pure Sunfarms has introduced over 800 plants, trees and shrubs across its property including the Red Alder, indigenous to British Columbia, as well as classic coastal species like the Douglas Fir and Black Hawthorn. Plants and native shrubs feature the Pacific Willow and the Nootka Rose plant from Vancouver Island. The environmental enhancement project will provide an important habitat for local wildlife, including the population of Delta’s designated Important Bird Area, which include resident and migratory birds such as waterfowls, raptors, cranes and other wading birds.
Funding for this project has been provided by the Governments of Canada and British Columbia through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative, under the Beneficial Management Practices Program. The program is delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC.
About Pure Sunfarms
Pure Sunfarms is a global leader in cultivation, operating one of the largest cannabis facilities in the world. With a focus on high-quality B.C. grown cannabis, the company combines decades of agricultural and legacy experience with large-scale operational excellence in its state-of-the-art greenhouses located in Delta, British Columbia.
Known as a top-selling brand of recreational dried flower across Canada, as well as a top licensed producer, Pure Sunfarms is renowned for producing popular cultivars like its Pink Kush.
Pure Sunfarms products are currently available across Canada. The company also produces cannabis products for other licensed producers in Canada and maintains EU GMP certification for exports to medicinal markets internationally.
Pure Sunfarms is the licensed producer of record for Pure Sunfarms, The Original Fraser Valley Weed Co., Soar, and Super Toast. Pure Sunfarms is a wholly owned subsidiary of Village Farms International, Inc. (Nasdaq: VFF).
www.puresunfarms.com
About Village Farms International
Village Farms leverages decades of experience as a large-scale, Controlled Environment Agriculture-based, vertically integrated supplier for high-value, high-growth plant-based Consumer Packaged Goods opportunities, with a strong foundation as a leading fresh produce supplier to grocery and large-format retailers throughout the U.S. and Canada, and new high-growth opportunities in the cannabis and CBD categories in North America, the Netherlands and selected markets internationally.
The Company's wholly owned Canadian subsidiary, Pure Sunfarms, is one of the single largest cannabis operations in the world, the lowest-cost greenhouse producer and one of Canada’s best-selling brands. The Company also owns 80% of Québec-based, Rose LifeScience, a leading third-party cannabis products commercialization expert in the Province of Québec. Village Farms ranks as the #2 producer nationally in Canada.
In the U.S., wholly owned Balanced Health Botanicals is one of the leading CBD brands and e-commerce platforms in the country. Subject to compliance with all applicable US federal and state laws and stock exchange rules, Village Farms plans to enter the US high-THC cannabis market via multiple strategies, leveraging one of the largest greenhouse operations in the country (more than 5.5 million square feet in West Texas), as well as the operational and product expertise gained through Pure Sunfarms' cannabis success in Canada.
Internationally, Village Farms is targeting selected, nascent, legal cannabis and CBD opportunities with significant medium and long-term potential, with an initial focus on the Asia-Pacific region and Europe. In the Netherlands, it is the only North American producer to hold one of ten cannabis licenses in this limited license country.
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