Living in a small, remote community can make it hard to get fresh fruit and vegetables in a pinch. Add to that road closures due to wildfires or storms, making access to grocery stores tough for residents of Anacla and Bamfield. It also makes bringing in fresh produce equally difficult for the local grocer.
Huu-ay-aht Elected Chief Sayaacath (John Jack) said that the nation runs one small grocer in Bamfield and if it doesn't have what you need, you'd have to drive 90 minutes to Port Alberni to the nearest grocery store.
"Despite the road being improved, we're still far removed from any sources of fresh food. And that's when we saw an opening for working with an economic partner on creating vertical farms that would allow us to grow produce in the area using new technology that would bring healthier food (to the community)," Jack told Ha-Shilth-Sa.
To address this need, Huu-ay-aht First Nations has turned to a company called Growcer, and with funding from the Large-Scale Food Infrastructure Fund and the Capital and Innovation program, the nation will purchase a system that grows produce with a hydroponic vertical farming technology.
Read more at Ha-Shilth-Sa
