Albertans love strawberries and we import tens of millions of pounds per year from Mexico and California. These strawberries are grown for travel. These strawberries are grown for durability and longevity. The berries are picked early so they ripen on the road and make it to the store while they are still fresh enough to sell. Unfortunately, foreign producers must sacrifice aroma, flavour, texture and nutritional value to make it to your table.

Beyond the lack of flavour, consider the environmental impact of transporting all those strawberries 2,800 to 4,800 km to market. Consider the harmful chemicals and pesticides used in field operations and the huge water requirements in drought-plagued regions. Then factor in crop losses to pests and freak weather events and you start to appreciate the benefits of growing strawberries in a fully controlled environment in Alberta.

It just makes sense to grow as much as we can, as close as we can to the people to buy the berries.

groHERE is all about growing and delivering fresh, tasty strawberries, 365 days a year in Alberta.

The stark reality is the world population will be 9.7 billion people by 2050.

Now consider that North American producers lose 50% of their production from things like weather events, water shortages, pests, birds, disease, and natural disasters. Globally that number is closer to 70%.

Food production methods need to evolve. It’s not just about producing enough food to feed a growing population. We need to grow more food in harsher, water-depleted environments while using fewer soil inputs and pesticides while generating less carbon dioxide in the process. It’s a tall order to be certain.

At a practical level, more and more people will experience food supply and price uncertainty.

We believe controlled environment agriculture is the answer.

We are not under the illusion we can solve global or even Canadian food security issues. What we do believe is we’re at the forefront of a vital shift in how food must be grown in Canada.

groHERE is in the process of becoming a large-scale strawberry producer that delivers safe, reliable, and secure production, and strawberries are just the beginning.

Our vision is to leverage our success with strawberries to produce food in Alberta 365 days a year at a scale that will make a difference to local food security.