Front Range Biosciences restores Lafayette greenhouse

LAFAYETTE — Front Range Biosciences Inc., an agricultural biotech company focused on high-value crops like cannabis, has completed restoration of the historic Lafayette Florist greenhouse after three months of construction.

The greenhouse, which had been used for growing flowers since the 1970s, will now be used for industrial hemp growth.

Lafayette Florist started in 1949, after the Yoshihara family was released from a World War II Japanese Relocation Camp and purchased two acres of land in Lafayette. Since then, the family has remained in the same location, with greenhouses, a flower shop and garden center. Brian Wheat is the family member who is the current CEO of Lafayette Florist.

The greenhouse is licensed by Front Range Bioscience’s partner company, Cultivas Bio LLC, and will add 12,000 square feet of propagation space to FRB’s current operation. The company plans to produce an additional 75,000 hemp rooted cuttings per month for Spring 2018, a 400 percent increase in production. The greenhouse was restored to expand FRB’s Clean Stock program, where the company propagates disease-free and pesticide-free plants in sterile conditions.

The upgraded features will allow for lighting control, climate control, manipulation of plants’ life cycles and energy conservation.

on Facebook on LinkedIn