Thursday, February 25, 2021

McCain invests in vertical farming

McCain Foods is investing another $30 million in GoodLeaf Farms of Guelph which plans to build two more vertical farming operations, one in Eastern Canada, the other in Western Canada.

The farms produce leafy greens to be sold in supermarkets.

GoodLeaf Farms opened its first commercial farm, a 45,000-square-foot facility in Guelph, in late 2019. It uses LED lights and hydroponic trays to grow microgreens such as arugula, pea shoots, radishes and kale, mostly sold within a two-hour drive of the plant.

Barry Murchie, GoodLeaf’s chief executive officer who spent 20 years with McCains, said. “we expect to break ground on the first farm in the next 45 to 90 days.”