A South Shore startup is going live with a technology it says will help Quebec growers produce tasty strawberries year-round and reduce the province’s wintertime reliance on imports.
Brossard-based Ferme d’Hiver said Wednesday it has begun building a “vertical farm” in Vaudreuil to produce pesticide-free berries starting in October. The three-year-old company has just raised $5 million in a so-called “seed round” from investors such as Investissement Québec to help accelerate its expansion, while the Quebec government chipped in with $1.7 million in loans and loan guarantees.
Standing about six metres tall, the indoor Vaudreuil facility will cover about 1,250 square metres and eventually produce 15 to 18 tons of strawberries a month, according to founder and chief operating officer Yves Daoust. That would double Quebec’s current winter berry output, he said.
While most growers typically use propane to produce fruits and vegetables, Ferme d’Hiver’s technology relies on electricity. As a result, the company says its solution is 30 per cent more energy-efficient than a typical greenhouse, which cuts capital costs by 40 per cent.
When it strikes a deal with a grower, Ferme d’Hiver commits to buying 100 per cent of the production and acting as a wholesaler. It has a long-term contract with IGA in Quebec to deliver at least 25 tons of strawberries every week, Daoust said.
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