Massive-scale indoor farming takes root in Calgary industrial park

Vertical veggie farm to extend meals safety, scale back reliance on U.S. imports

Massive-scale Indoor Farming | Bryan Labby |

IMAGE: A big tray of micro peas at GoodLeaf Farms can be harvested and packaged for supply to native retailers. (Bryan Labby/CBC)

Consider it as a sanctuary for leafy greens. That’s how GoodLeaf’s Barry Murchie describes the corporate’s 100,000-square-foot vertical farm operation that he predicts will finally produce 900,000 kilograms of veggies a 12 months.

The corporate’s president and CEO says it’s one step towards growing meals safety, presumably resulting in decrease costs for house grown meals and a smaller carbon footprint in comparison with veggies which are trucked in from the USA.

“We’re creating an alternate, a home various to cope with Canada’s meals sovereignty,” mentioned Murchie.

“However our intent is to be an choice to interchange imports and to have as excessive a per cent as attainable of domestically grown produce.”

The large warehouse represents an funding of $50-$60 million, in keeping with Murchie. The Authorities of Alberta contributed $2.7 million towards the mission. 

The newborn greens and micro veggies are grown hydroponically in tons of of trays stacked 12 metres excessive in a local weather managed surroundings. 

The irrigated crops are given a rigorously timed dose of water to maximise the varied phases of progress. The water is drained, filtered and used once more. The condensate from all the humidity can also be captured and pumped into the big trays.

Inside such a tightly managed surroundings, the veggies develop remarkably quick, going from seed to package deal in two weeks or much less, relying on the range.

The setup is a rigorously guarded secret — a lot in order that Murchie wouldn’t permit CBC’s cameras to take any photos contained in the rising space.

“We’ve received an unlimited quantity of mental property in all of the foundational parts of our farm and we wish to defend that,” he mentioned.

It’s not the primary indoor, vertical farm in Calgary. The town’s meals motion plan helps “a sustainable and resilient meals system” to enhance entry to native and wholesome meals.

“To advertise a extra supportive surroundings for agricultural actions in any respect scales to occur inside our metropolis,” mentioned Kristi Peters, Calgary’s meals system planner.

She says there are a few dozen indoor farms working in Calgary, however only some, together with GreenLeaf, are large-scale operations.

Some consultants consider the large-scale fashions might be profitable when situated in shut proximity to giant centres and are in a position to promote their items in main retailers and eating places.

That’s one thing that GoodLeaf and one other native indoor operation, Deep Water Farms, have executed.

Good timing

Stuart Smyth is a professor within the division of agricultural and useful resource economics on the College of Saskatchewan. He’s additionally the Agri-Meals Innovation and Sustainability Enhancement Chair.

He says these native operations might scale back our reliance on veggies imported from California and Arizona — and the timing might be preferrred. He says latest water restrictions in Arizona affected the quantity of leafy greens that might be planted.

“The problem down there may be that they’re going through droughts and diminished water availability for irrigation,” mentioned Smyth.

As GoodLeaf gears up towards full manufacturing, it’s already looking forward to growth. The present website has sufficient room to double capability.

“Consider it because the Salinas Valley of the north, as we are able to kind of create a state of affairs to generate an unlimited quantity of produce for Canadians by Canadians,” mentioned Murchie.

Authentic Article: https://www.cbc.ca/information/canada/calgary/indoor-farming-agriculture-calgary-food-security-1.7058386