As food bank usage increases in B.C. amid the cost-of-living crisis, a group is starting to grow lettuce in a Cranbrook city park to encourage healthy and sustainable eating.

The CBC's Corey Bullock went to the farm, which is looking to expand.

A new hydroponic freight farm opened in Chelsea on Saturday, providing fresh produce year-round.  The urban farm was launched by GreenRoots, a local environmental organization. 

Roseann Bongiovanni, executive director of GreenRoots Teaching Kitchen, said the farm's hydroponic technology will let the organization grow produce year-round. “It’s a sort of urban farm-to-table concept to address food insecurity, nutrition, health, and also to build community and culture,” Bongiovanni said. 

On the outside, the farm just looks like a storage container in a parking lot. But inside the container, water and artificial light and heat create an environment for plants to grow no matter the weather outside. 

Located on a former brownfield site, the farm turned to CEA technologies like vertical farming, container growing, and hydroponics to bypass poor soil quality and limited space issues. "Our motto is, 'Make every acre count,'" Trevor explains. Using over 300 vertical towers, the farm can produce thousands of heads of lettuce in a single cycle.

Educational greenhouses and hydroponic systems
MOFC's success lies in using hydroponic systems and greenhouse technologies. High tunnels—polyplastic-wrapped structures provided by the USDA—protect crops from unpredictable weather, while Dutch bucket systems optimize the production of crops like tomatoes, with each bucket yielding 35 to 50 pounds. By integrating hydroponics, the farm circumvents the need for long-term soil regeneration, a process that can take up to 10 years on previously developed land.

The program was launched in March in partnership with the By the Hand Club and Kenilworth Union Church. The hydroponic container farm operates in any climate and without the use of harsh chemicals. So far, it’s produced eight harvests.

"When we have a full container, we’re looking at about 4,000 heads of lettuce that we’re currently growing," said Joe Jones, senior director of entrepreneurship at Bowen Harvest. "The cycle is about 4,000 and that equates to about four acres a year."

The first birthday of Haverhill YMCA’s Freight Farm brought out staff, city officials and its primary sponsor for a birthday cake and, of course, salad made with the farm’s own lettuce.

Celebrating Wednesday at the Gateway Academy on Primrose Street, where the first YMCA Freight Farm in the country is located, were Mayor Melinda E. Barrett, YMCA Regional Executive Director Tracy Fuller, city councilors, community leaders and Glenn D. Focht, president of Anna Jaques Hospital, which sponsored the farm.

“What we’re purchasing is an indoor grow unit where we can grow food for the community all year long,” said Catharine Kendall, executive director Connaught Youth Centre Society. The unit, which costs about $150,000, will be used to produce up to 480 fresh greens every four to six weeks. These will be distributed to high-risk children, youth, and their families, a crucial need for those struggling with food security.