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Lynn Thacker Ag. Corp
Box 719
Bow Island, AB.
Canada
Phone: 403-545-6565 |
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Bow Island has over 110,000 acres of highly developed
irrigation, and is the "Bean Capital Of The West". |
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Bow Island is situated in one of Western Canada’s hot-spots,
the south-east corner of Alberta. Long growing seasons with a large number of
sunlight hours provide a fertile environment for essential oil crops. A typical
growing season starts in April and ends in October. LTAC employs no-till and
minimal-till farming practices in a continuing effort to improve the quality and
fertility of the soil. All of LTAC’s crops are grown and managed directly by
LTAC, on pivot- irrigated land.
LTAC boasts one of the most modern oil-extraction facilities in the
industry, pictured above. A combination of “continuous flow”
extraction methods and a computerized monitoring and recording system allow for
an efficient and consistent quality control. Here, essential oils are extracted
from the fresh plant material by the use of live steam. Included in this
facility is a blending unit that allows LTAC to combine oils with different
characteristics desired by customers, and blend it into a final product of a
consistent quality.
A 22,000 square foot building is the processing and storage facility for LTAC’s
Catnip herb products. This building is where the Catnip material is processed,
packaged, and stored until customers require it, all in a temperature
controlled environment.
A 300,000 bushel grain handling system is used by LTAC to handle and store grain,
featuring an automated aeration system to help control the quality of its stored
grain.
Ute Thacker is LTAC’s chemist and power engineer. Receiving her Bachelor of
Science, Honors Program, in Chemistry at the University of Alberta, she closely
monitors the quality and characteristics of the oil being produced through the
use of a Gas Chromatograph (GC) unit in LTAC’s laboratory. Ute is also a
licensed Class 3 Power Engineer, responsible for the maintenance of the steam
generation in the oil extraction facility.
Also part of the LTAC team is Refe Gaudiel, an agronomist, researcher, and
consultant. Refe has been a key part of the development of the essential oil
industry in Canada and continues to work with LTAC to improve both the quality
of products and the agricultural methods used in their production. |
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