News Business Focus on: Berries
Quebec’s Winter Farm to add six vertical farms for strawberry production

Winter Farm, a Quebec-based controlled-environment agriculture company, announced on Dec. 13 that it has raised $46 million to significantly expand their operations.

In the coming months, six 600 m² vertical farms will be added to the two existing farms already in operation. These installations will allow Winter Farm to produce high-quality strawberries year-round in Quebec, while using 20 to 25 times less space compared to open-field production, recovering 90 per cent of irrigation water used and generating minimal greenhouse gases. In order to realize this project in Vaudreuil, Winter Farm has acquired Les Serres Vaudreuil, formerly owned by the St-Denis family, who will now manage operations and production of Fraise d’hiver strawberries. The family will continue to lend their expertise to local agriculture.

This major milestone was achieved thanks to the renewed commitment from the Quebec Government and Investissement Québec, and the addition of new investors: Desjardins, Farm Credit Canada, Financière Agricole du Québec and Capital Financière Agricole Inc., as well as two private partners. The Vaudreuil site will ensure that nearly one million kilograms of Fraise d’hiver strawberries will reach the market each year.

“The arrival of new partners is a vote of confidence in favour of Winter Farm’s industrial potential and our ability to deliver superior quality fruit,” said Alain Brisebois, president and CEO of Winter Farm. “Innovation is key to develop a more sustainable and competitive local agriculture that can challenge import markets. Our thanks to the St-Denis family for teaming up with us on this adventure.”

With its ability to integrate with the greenhouse world and its potential to scale up indoor growing solution, Winter Farm aims to develop an agro-industrial network of fruit and vegetable production all year long.

“An agriculture based on a variety of production models is essential to increasing sustainable food autonomy in Quebec,” said André Lamontagne, Quebec minister of agriculture, fisheries and food. “We can be proud of being able to rely on an innovative and dynamic agricultural industry.”