December 15, 2022

By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media

A vertical farm dedicated to growing strawberries is the first concept for Winter Farm – a Québec-based, tech-driven company that designs, deploys, and operates CEA solutions that work in harmony with existing agrifood systems. 

Launched in 2018, Winter Farm combines precision agriculture, AI, and engineering systems to foster the development of more sustainable food production. With this ability to integrate with the greenhouse category, together with its potential to scale its indoor growing solution, Winter Farm aims to develop an agro-industrial network of year-round fruit and vegetable production.

Ultimately, the company is looking to produce 1 million kilograms of Fraise d’hiver strawberries each year, replacing 10 percent of Canada’s imports.

In support of this goal, the Québec Government and Investissement Québec renewed their commitment to the startup, and along with new investors Desjardins, Farm Credit Canada, Financière Agricole du Québec, Capital Financière Agricole Inc., and two private partners, have made a capital investment of $46 million in the business. 

“Investissement Québec is proud to renew its support of Winter Farm,” said Guy LeBlanc, president and CEO, Investissement Québec. “Their innovative vertical production solutions address the agri-food and environmental challenges we are facing. This new project will enable them to increase local production and strengthen Québec’s food autonomy.”

“The arrival of new partners is a vote of confidence in favor of Winter Farm’s industrial potential and our ability to deliver superior quality fruit,” added Alain Brisebois, president and CEO, Winter Farm. “Innovation is key to develop a more sustainable and competitive local agriculture that can challenge import markets.”

Over the coming months, this project will see six additional 600-square-meter vertical farms added to the company’s two existing farms already in operation. These new facilities will enable Winter Farm to produce strawberries on a year-round basis in Vaudreuil, Québec, using up to 25 times less space than field production, recovering 90 percent of irrigation water, all while generating minimal greenhouse gasses.

As part of the process, Winter Farm also announced that it has acquired Les Serres Vaudreuil from the St-Denis family, who will now manage operations and leverage their expertise for the production of Fraise d’hiver strawberries.

“Our thanks to the St-Denis family for teaming up with us on this adventure,” said LeBlanc. “Their involvement will directly contribute to making Vaudreuil a world-class technology showcase for the vertical farming industry!”

Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister Responsible for Regional Economic Development and Minister Responsible for the Metropole and the Montréal Region (Whew!), commented on what this project will mean for the local region, saying, “Winter Farm’s vertical farming and smart lighting concepts are innovative and profitable for Quebec. In addition to promoting local production and encouraging the purchase of local Quebec products, they contribute to the development of a sustainable agricultural sector.”

And in a broader sense, Jean-Yves Bourgeois, executive vice-president, business services, Desjardins Group, noted how important companies like Winter Farm and the project at Vaudreuil are, considering the threats we are all faced with.

“In the context of climate change and resource scarcity, we must find innovative solutions to improve our means of production,” said Bourgeois. “Energy efficiency, artificial intelligence and food self-sufficiency: the support from Desjardins will enable Winter Farm to implement an innovative growing model to help develop a lower-carbon emitting economy, while offering consumers a high-quality local product.”

~ Lynda Kiernan-Stone is editor in chief with GAI Media, and is managing editor and daily contributor for Global AgInvesting’s AgInvesting Weekly News and  Agtech Intel News, as well as HighQuest Group’s Unconventional Ag. She can be reached at lkiernan-stone@globalaginvesting.com.

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