Piet Vijverberg Nursery accelerates digitalization with the IIVO climate computer
Success storyMay 6, 2026
Canada is not an obvious place to grow leafy greens at scale. Yet Haven Greens, based at Kinghaven Farms in King City, Ontario, has done exactly that - reaching full capacity and selling out completely in their first year of operations. Their secret? A fully automated greenhouse powered by IIVO's Intelligent Algorithms.
Growing food in a climate that fights back
Founded by third-generation farmer Jay Willmot, Haven Greens was built to solve a clear gap in the Canadian food system: fresh, locally grown leafy greens available 365 days a year, regardless of season. “We needed to find a way to levelize those conditions to grow food in a consistent way 365 days a year,” says Jay Willmot, Founder & CEO of Haven Greens.
The answer was full automation. Today, Haven Greens grows without chemical pesticides, herbicides or fungicides, recycles nutrients, uses up to 90% less water than field-grown lettuce, and delivers produce that’s ready to eat straight from the package.
We needed to find a way to levelize those conditions to grow food in a consistent way 365 days a year.
Jay Willmot, Founder & CEO, Haven Greens
IIVO and Intelligent Algorithms: predicting before reacting
At the core of Haven Greens’ operation is IIVO, which continuously monitors and anticipates conditions inside and outside the greenhouse. Intelligent Algorithms adjust supplemental lighting in real time based on incoming solar radiation - reducing energy use while keeping crop output consistent.
“It’s actually predicting the outside environment, predicting the radiation coming into the greenhouse. That allows us to modulate our lights in a manner that really reduces our energy input while maintaining the output of the crop.” says Dominick DiMucci, Head Grower at Haven Greens.
For DiMucci, what sets IIVO apart is the level of control it gives the grower - not a locked system, but a fully customizable one that lets him steer the climate and push the crop in any direction he needs.
It’s actually predicting the outside environment, predicting the radiation coming into the greenhouse. That allows us to modulate our lights in a manner that really reduces our energy input while maintaining the output of the crop.
Dominick DiMucci, Head Grower, Haven Greens
A blueprint for sustainable Canadian agriculture
Two years in, Haven Greens products are available in supermarkets across Canada. For Willmot, the mission goes beyond the harvest.
“We want Haven Greens to become an example for Canadian farmers everywhere in terms of how to bring sustainable farming that we can count on into our nation every single day,” says Willmot.
Is your greenhouse ready for the next level?
Haven Greens shows what’s possible when the right technology and the right partner come together. Discover what IIVO's Intelligent Algorithms can do for your operation.
