UP Vertical Farms CEO on the future of Canadian farming

Added on 01 January 2025

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UP Vertical Farms CEO on the future of Canadian farming

(L-R) Shahram and Bahram Rashti, Co-Founders, UP Vertical Farms. Courtesy of Indoor-Con

As pioneers in Canadian vertical farming, brothers Bahram and Shahram Rashti, Co-Founders of UP Vertical Farms, are redefining how leafy greens are grown and delivered.

Together they have built one of Canada’s most innovative fully-automated, high-density vertical farms that merges sustainability, technology, and profitability to tackle food security challenges head-on. In this Q&A, CEO Bahram Rashti shares insights into UP Vertical Farms’ cutting-edge touchless growing methods, their key partnerships, and their ambitious plans to scale into the U.S. market. Readers can also hear directly from Bahram during the “Trends in Canada” panel at Indoor Ag-Con 2025, where he will discuss the opportunities and challenges shaping Canada’s controlled environment agriculture industry.

From Dentistry to Vertical Farming: Your career shift from dentistry to agriculture is unique, and you co-founded UP Vertical Farms with your brother, Shahram. What inspired this transition, and how has your partnership shaped the company’s vision and success?

The transition from dentistry to vertical farming was definitely not a traditional one, but it was driven by a deep desire to make a more direct impact on people’s well-being and the environment.