While U.S. tariffs threaten much of the Canadian economy, business is booming for an Ottawa-based startup that builds indoor farming units for made-in-Canada produce – also known as vertical farms.
Increased consumer interest in local produce could be attributed to looming uncertainty regarding the impacts of tariffs on agriculture and cross-border food trade, though much of our food exports, for now, will be exempt from the 10-per-cent baseline tariff.
"The phones have been ringing off the hook," says Corey Ellis, co-founder and chief executive officer of Growcer, an Ottawa-based vertical farms supplier. "Our customers are seeing a ton of demand from Canadians across the entire country who want to buy local veggies instead of American products."
Growcer has already supplied modular vertical farming units to 110 customers across Canada, including First Nations, co-op grocery stores, community colleges and non-profit organizations. The units cost $250,000 plus shipping, and they are made at the company's factory in Winkler, Man. Each farming unit is 40 feet long, 10 feet high and 10 feet wide, amounting to the size of a cargo container.
Read more at The Globe and Mail