Collège Boréal growing berries for the North

Added on 03 January 2024

Tags

Collège Boréal growing berries for the North

A strawberry grows in a greenhouse. Collège Boréal is developing a hydroponic berry farming system for the northern climate. The intiative recently received a $1M donation from the Weston Foundation. PHOTO BY SUPPLIED/COLLÈGE BORÉAL

New hydroponics approach will be suitable for extreme climates.

Weston Family Foundation has contributed $1 million to Collège Boréal to help address food insecurity in Canada’s remote regions.

The first phase of a project undertaken by Research & Innovation Boréal (RIB) and its partners will enable sustainable and commercially viable production of berries grown in greenhouses in extreme climates.

“We are developing a multi-layer hydroponic farming solution that is affordable, modular and easy to deploy in a variety of growing environments,” said Stephane Lanteigne with Truly Northern Farms.

“To support food sustainability in all parts of Canada, we need solutions that make economic sense at smaller scales.”

In a region known for its extreme climate fluctuations, the project will test multi-layer hydroponic grow racks, water-cooled programmable lighting, integrated pest management and a thermal harvesting system capable of recapturing and utilizing waste heat.