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The Best Orchid Sites?
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Showing Room
Everyday(Sat.Sun.included)
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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The Orchid &
Plants
Education Center
Compiled on May 28,
2004
PDF
General Outline
This is an orchid growing company,
established in April, 1999. We were able to
buy land and obtain a permit to build greenhouses in Dos
Palos, CA in September,
1999. The construction period lasted ten months and we
were able to start
growing our inventory in the beginning of 2001.
Our current operation consists of 15.7 acres, housing five
greenhouses with
approximately 250,000 plants. In the near future, with the
expansion of more
greenhouses, our goal is to grow more than one million
plants. We will also
focus on creating educational and cultural projects by
building an Orchid &
Plants Education Center.
One of our company's goals is to diversify the
agricultural business on the
basis of orchid and plant growing technology in the
central valley. We hope to
educate our customers on the necessity of greenhouses for
the purpose of
conservation of the environment. We will employ the
practices of greenhouse
growing, equipment management, growing ornamental plants,
cloning technology for
propagation of a certain species, and water conservation.
The additional effect of opening our farm to the public is
to provide travelers,
commuters, and even our local neighbors with resting
places, field trip
opportunities for students of all ages, and just a good
educational experience
for anyone who would like to visit us and learn more about
our orchids and
plants.
The main
content and the aim of the project
1. Orchid & Plant Museum:
The museum will be built in the first greenhouse
(0.5 acres), closest to Highway
152. This museum will comprise various kinds of orchids,
including a wide
variety of different plants. This variety of orchids would
meet the educational
taste of the local people. By teaching the details of
growing and cultivating
characteristics of orchids, we will be able to concentrate
on teaching the
importance of the plant resources and conservation, in
addition to home
horticulture.
2. Botanical Garden:
Bamboo plants will be our main plants in the
Botanical Garden, spread over 5
acres of land. We have completed extensive research on
more than 70 varieties of
bamboo coming from all over the world. In the near future
more than 150
varieties will be tested and planted here at our
facilities. The Botanical
Garden will be open to the public, free of charge.
3. Research Center and Seminar Room:
1) Orchid and plants tissue culture:
We will conserve and propagate the almost extinct species
of orchids with the
hope of contributing to the horticulture industry in
America by developing the
mass propagation of these extinct species.
2) Hydroponics:
Through hydroponics, these plants will receive only 10% of
the
water they would normally use. Also, by diminishing the
growing time and
increasing the production by at least twice the amount,
this will allow us to
conserve water by recycling. We will practice this skill
of water conservation
that is vastly depleted in California.
4. Expanding the greenhouses:
We will build two additional greenhouses, used solely for
growing orchids. The
reason for this addition is that one greenhouse that we
currently use for
growing orchids will be transformed into a museum, open to
the public free of
charge.
5. Restaurant and gas station/mini
mart:
For the comfort and convenience of our customers,
we will have a restaurant for
those who would be able to sit down, rest, and stay
awhile. But for those
travelers who are on the go, we will have a mini mart on
the premises as well.
6. RV Parking:
RV parking is convenient for truck drivers who have
an interest in orchids and
plant growth and would like to visit our place of
business, as well. They will
be able to visit our restaurant, facilities.
Expected
Effect
1. Job
opportunity:
We are currently employing seven full time workers
and six part-time workers
year-round. After our project is completed, we expect to
increase our job
opportunities to twenty full time workers and fifteen
part-time workers
year-round.
2. Tax
Revenues:
It is expected that we will be paying at least four
to five times more than our
current tax amount.
3. Spin-off
effect of diversifying agriculture:
It will be the forefront of high-tech agriculture
in the traditional agriculture
zone in the central valley.
4. Contribution to the local orchid
growers:
It will open up many opportunities for orchid growers to
learn more about
orchids and how to grow them, as well as give people who
want to start raising
orchids as a hobby, a place to learn and explore.
Planning Department of Merced County
Measuring for layout
Engineer Garth Pecchenino
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