Top quality greens now grown year-round in far North

Winter's arrival in northern Ontario once meant months when cheap, fresh produce would be scarce on the Nipissing First Nation.

This winter is different. Late last year, the nation purchased a specialized hydroponic "farm" built in a steel box about the size of a shipping container. The farm now produces enough fresh greens for the community of about 3,000 and nearby restaurants year-round.

Gone are wilted romaine and broccoli from California. Now, kale, lettuce and other Nipissing-grown greens are readily available. Plants sit in a shallow pond of water with nutrients to help them thrive inside the new farm. One 400-square-foot container can produce over 787 plants a week.

"The quality and taste of these products is unlike anything I've tasted or seen for purchase anywhere," said Geneviève Couchie, Nipissing First Nation business operations manager. "That's extremely exciting."

The farm is one of more than 70 similar projects across Canada supported by Ottawa-based social enterprise Growcer. Founded in 2015 by a group of university students trying to bolster food availability in remote parts of Canada, the company has since helped dozens of Indigenous communities, public institutions like schools and a handful of farmers run hydroponic farms to supply local markets.

About half the fruits, vegetables and nuts in Canadian diets are imported, mainly from the U.S., according to researchers at York University. Nearly 90 per cent of all leafy greens are imported, and Canada is "heavily dependent" on California and Arizona for vegetables like spinach, celery, broccoli and cabbage.

This reliance on imports is particularly evident in rural and remote towns, especially in northern regions where fresh food must be shipped by air. Food prices in northern fly-in communities are routinely two or three times higher than in southern centres, exacerbating widespread food insecurity. In Nunavut alone, nearly half of households can't afford enough to eat, with Inuit disproportionately hard hit.

Growcer was initially created to help remote communities where it’s impossible to grow food year-round rely less heavily on these imports by producing fresh, local foods, explained co-founder Alida Burke. The company has since expanded its focus to support projects across the country.

"This type of growing technology can be used to support food sovereignty and food security no matter where you are," she explained.

While the company works with many Indigenous communities on projects like the one on Nipissing First Nation, they are not the only clients. Universities like Acadia and Durham College purchased Growcer farms, modified to be wheelchair-accessible, as part of their educational program. A few commercial farmers selling to local grocery stores have also purchased the units, Burke said.

Still, Burke admitted the units are not an all-encompassing solution for food security, particularly in remote northern communities. They are "complementary" to local food programs, offering an alternative source for foods like produce that would otherwise need to travel thousands of kilometres.

"The way we view it is working in collaboration and not necessarily against different types of options," she said.

Back in Nipissing, Couchie said the farm's only downside has been its electricity use, which has increased the community's power bill. But those costs are offset by the unit's benefits — enough fresh, affordable veggies to go around and sell online to restaurants and at farmers' markets.