b'FOOD SOVEREIGNTYGrowcers modular farminglettuce shortage: The price was going units are shipped toup everywhere, but we kept our price at customers across Canada $4 and grew as much as we could. We provide price stability to the communi-ties we serve. We maintain trust by not feeding into shortages the way grocery stores do.The vertical farm covers 4,400 square feet, with half of that devoted to growing. The company plans to add another 2,000 square feet for growing and for a mechanical room, and a new green-AgriTech North opened its hydroponicregardless of outside conditions, whichhouse is being built where strawberries vertical farming facility in Dryden in Aprilrequires water, lighting, humidity controlwill be grown year-round. 2022, with Velez as its master grower.and heating. Thats why AgriTech North isFeagin says the facility can produce Vertical farming uses stacked surfaces working on a sustainable energy strategyenough food for 600 families. The current picture grocery store shelves full of traysoriented toward solar energy to reduceharvest capacity is 450 kilograms of fresh of plantsto grow much more food perthe energy overhead. produce per week. The company distrib-square foot than is possible with tradi- utes as far as Winnipeg to the west and tional farming. Some vertical farms useThe company sells online, and its selec- Thunder Bay to the east. That network is soil, but hydroponic systems grow cropstion also includes a wide range of foodalways expanding, but AgriTech North in water. And some grow plants in verticalproducts from other suppliers. Abouthas to build its own logistics, Feagin says. piping systems instead of on shelves. 80 per cent of its business is by subscrip-tion, which is free of charge and offersHuge portions of our country have no Indoor vertical farming allows cropsa price reduction.infrastructure to support the shipment to be raised and harvested year-roundof fresh product, Feagin explains. A and in rotation, so there is always some- The company holds the line on pricingdistribution chain with storage at every thing available for harvest. But it meanswhen most food suppliers would not.stop and vehicles that can move small maintaining a constant environmentFeagin cites the example of a recentfood quantities across the region doesnt exist. So were essentially building two industries at the same time, which is extremelydifficult.Feagin and Velez operate under the motto Better than Organic. In Canada, produce grown hydroponically cannot be certified organic. But in the U.S. the same kind of operation can certify its produce as organic and sell it in Canada as such. Its hardly a level playing field.We use 90 per cent less water and 60 per cent less nutrients on our farm, and no chemical pesticides, fungicides or herbicides, in comparison to organic and conventional farming, Feagin says. We also use 99 per cent less land. Organic uses three times more land than conventional agriculture to grow the same amount of crops. Theres not enough land in the world for everyone to eatorganic.GROWCERLaunched in 2016 by Corey Ellis and The aim of companies like GrowcerAlida Burke, Growcer is another company and AgriTech is to provide anthat leverages the benefits of indoor affordable supply of food tohydroponic vertical farming to get Indigenous communities in the North freshly grown produce to Indigenous and remote communities. Ellis and 48A CCAB PUBLICATIONFall 2023'