CANADA: From Seed to Table, Manitoba Business Brings Hydroponics Home
Anyone Can Grow: The Les Verts Terrace system is designed for anyone — from beginners to seasoned gardeners — to successfully grow healthy, spray-free, nutrient-packed produce. Photo by Handout /Winnipeg Sun
Living in Canada’s centre has its challenges. We can all attest that temperatures of 30 below can put a damper on many facets of living, including producing and consuming clean, locally grown foods.
What if actively gardening in mid-January was a possibility? What if local households, communities, retailers, and restaurants could grow their own fresh, quality produce, year-round, with affordable hydroponic gardens? Les Verts Living, a Manitoba-owned, innovative agricultural business, in partnership with T&T Seeds, has developed indoor hydroponic systems that do just so.
Owners Rachel Green and her father Kerry have dedicated their lives to agriculture and making nutritious, leafy greens accessible to tables throughout the province.
“Most of us are born and raised here in Manitoba – it’s our home. Like all Manitobans, we’ve always had the problem of accessing fresh, high-quality produce in the winter months,” said Kerry Green in an interview with The Sun. “We’ve seen the issue of food security, especially in rural and more northern and remote communities, and we wanted to do something about it.”
Les Verts Living began growing lettuce indoors in 2018 to serve the local Winnipeg market. “We wanted to give people high-quality food that is safer and more affordable than the imported produce at the grocery store,” Green said. “We’re all tired of paying high prices for poor quality produce that goes bad in a day or two. Food waste is a major issue.”
Although the need for growing produce locally has been an apparent concern and priority, finding an existing, affordable and sustainable system to withstand Manitoba temperatures, wasn’t easy.
“We looked at a lot of different growing systems, including container farm systems. But they were large and expensive to start up, and many weren’t designed to withstand -40C temperatures. So we decided to develop our own hydroponic growing system.”
Over time, and with the help of local partners such as the National Research Council of Canada, the Province of Manitoba, and RRC Polytech, the Les Verts Terrace Pro was developed.
“We started producing lots of lettuce, herbs and other plants, and started giving these away to friends and family,” Green said. “Word spread around the community and we put together a small lettuce and herb subscription service, serving 40 customers around Winnipeg.”
The quality and high nutritional value of the hydroponically grown produce fuelled its popularity. Winnipeggers were happy to make the trip, even for a few heads of lettuce. The Greens quickly concluded, however, that local communities required more than subscription service.
“There’s an urgent need in remote, northern and Indigenous communities across Canada, to address the need for food security. Many of these communities either lack access to fresh food, or the price is so high, and quality so poor, that people aren’t buying it all. There’s a major health impact to the people of these communities as a result,” Green explained.
“Growing more produce to ship across the country really doesn’t solve the problems of food security or the environmental impact of transporting food long distances.
“The second thing we realized was that we had developed a growing system that was essentially foolproof for anyone to use. Now our mission is to empower anyone, anywhere, to grow fresh, quality food for their family, friends and local communities.
“Our systems allow communities to grow fresh food affordably and year-round. They can take advantage of existing spaces and scale up production in a responsible manner.
“Schools, senior care facilities, community centres and more are using our systems to provide a shared activity for people of all ages to come together and enjoy. Our systems are also great tools for promoting education and sustainability initiatives.”
Sustainable Production: This hyper-local approach to food production uses 90% less water and 75% less fertilizer compared to traditional farming and reduces reliance on imported produce. Photo by Handout /Winnipeg Sun
Large-scale hydroponic operations are growing in large factories. Les Verts Living took a different route, however, giving local families and communities the opportunity to by-pass having to depend on these growers.
“We really see a desire for people to take control of their food supply, and we believe our systems can help them do that,” Green said.
The Les Verts Terrace is designed to produce great tasting, high-quality produce with very little work — green thumbs aren’t required. Grow large flats of microgreens, herbs, tomato plants, or use the system to start your plants indoors for your outdoor garden. Use their curated seeds or seeds of your own — select varieties according to taste and nutrition, not according to how well they travel. Plants stay fresh and live out of the system for over 3 weeks. Their system uses 90% less water and 75% less fertilizer than field-grown produce, and doesn’t require the use of sprays and pesticides.
Les Verts Living continues to enhance the sustainability of its systems by conducting research and working with partners. T&T Seeds, a trusted local provider, provides access to many new crops and varieties that are now being tested in their Innovation Centre in Oak Bluff.
While the future of food may seem uncertain, having the ability to grow our own produce is key.
“We’re doing what we can to provide real, sustainable and achievable solutions to people everywhere. No matter where they are, no matter what experience they have. Indoor hydroponics has the power to revolutionize how we grow our food,” Green said, explaining his take on the matter. “We want everyone to be able to grow fresh, homegrown food for their family, friends and local communities.”
Keeping food production local is a crucial part of a thriving community. Businesses like Les Verts Living contribute to that awareness and building a self-sufficient, resilient Manitoba.
— Amanda Beakes is the Assistant Editor and a reporter for the Winnipeg Sun.