Cruz is co-founder and chief financial officer (CFO) of Sea to Sky Farms, which has property in the valley on the former land of a hops farm.These days, Cruz has plans to expand his company's vertical farm enterprise on the property. Currently, he has an operational vertical farm in Alberta, selling leafy greens.
Hydroponic, vertical farming, which is the planned design for the valley farm, uses vastly less water, less land, less labor, doesn't use pesticides or fertilizers, and, in the valley, will be powered by B.C.'s hydro-energy grid, which is "renewable and sustainable," Cruz said.
Grown indoors, the lettuce can be grown and harvested 365 days of the year. Throw in climate change, which makes growing seasons unpredictable, and vertical farming seems a no-brainer to Cruz, who notes that a lot of the lettuce we buy at the grocery store is imported, leaving us dependent on other areas, such as California. Further, leafy greens imported from California and Arizona have been associated with several outbreaks of foodborne. This risk is greatly reduced with vertical farming, which is, as noted, a more controlled environment.
Cruz says the catalyst for the business sprouted during the pandemic. "I think in the pandemic, we all learned that getting out of the cities and experiencing nature was important," he said, noting that he has a long history with Whistler—he currently serves on the board of directors of the —but previously didn't know much about the Squamish Valley. "I just really thought that agricultural land was not being utilized," he said, adding he soon realized how much the valley has to offer.
"The Squamish Valley is like a magical place. It's not your typical farming area," he noted, glancing up at the steep terrain just north of the Sea to Sky Farms' property. "But we have power here. We have highway access. We have access to water, and I think we can do more with this area."
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