Planting seeds
of change
Our mission at Sunspring Farms is to help Calgary’s underserved populations support themselves and their families by growing safe, healthy and hyper-local produce using the latest in indoor hydroponic and vertical farming technology.
Food security is a growing challenge
Over the next 20 years, the global population will rise to over 9 billion people, with close to 80% of us living in urban areas. This increased density will place further stress on local food security in Calgary and challenge us to create innovative solutions for producing safe and sustainable food supplies for our growing city.
Access
Food deserts can be found in major urban areas like Calgary and will typically require individuals living within them to travel more than 1 kilometre to their closest supermarket to purchase affordable produce.
Resources
Close to 80% of global arable land is already in use for traditional agriculture, with 70% of global fresh water being used for soil-based farming, and 50% of planted crops not being harvested.
Health
5.2 Billion pounds of pesticides are used worldwide today to grow our food, with only 0.1% of the pesticides reaching the target pests, leaving 99.9% of the pesticides to impact the environment.
Seasons
Calgary has a five-month growing season, which results in most of our produce traveling over 2,400 kilometres from locations such as the United States and Mexico.
Source: Association for Vertical Farming
We grow differently
Innovative hydroponic technology allows us to grow hyper-locally in urban Calgary communities that were once seen as the last place you would expect your food to come from.
Vertical farming has become a viable alternative to traditional farming methods over the past decade, as automated technology and LED lighting have made vertical farming solutions more efficient and affordable. By growing food such as lettuce, herbs, microgreens and other vegetables vertically, it will allow us to produce comparable yields to traditional farming, but with 0% soil usage, 0% pesticides, 70-95% less water and 10% the physical footprint. Additionally, 90% of vertical farming crops are harvested compared to 50% in traditional farming and can achieve greater yields with less space and resources needed, while integrating into urban communities without disrupting housing and commercial opportunities.
Subsidized food access
We’re going to go beyond growing food for profit by subsidizing access to healthy and affordable produce for those who need it most.
The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us about how important it is to shop local. At the beginning, it quickly became apparent that there was an obvious gap in our supply chain and our dependence on outsourced products such as fresh produce wasn't viable anymore. At the same time, affordable produce can still be out of reach for some households in our community. Sunspring Farms will help address food security by locally producing fresh food 365 days a year, while also partnering with local non-profit food suppliers to dedicate a portion of our annual crop for sale at subsidized prices.
Jobs for everyone
We will be a catalyst for equity, diversity and inclusion in our community by creating meaningful employment and career growth for the underserved populations.
We see populations that face barriers and challenges in accessing equal employment opportunities due to geographical origin, religion, sexual orientation, gendered-identity, ethnicity and cognitive or physical disabilities as the backbone of our farms. It’s never a question as to why, but how do we continually improve our facilities in order to allow our employees to grow as individuals and professionals so that they have a career instead of a job. Our goal at Sunspring Farms is to implement an employment model that allows everyone to succeed and contribute to the growth of our products and our company.
Affordable housing
Sunspring Farms will be integrated with Calgary affordable housing developments, providing residents with direct access to fresh food and meaningful job opportunities.
Access to affordable housing is a major social issue in Calgary and other cities. However, with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and recent downturns in the Calgary energy sector, the need for affordable housing within our communities has never been more urgent than today. Through integration, our farms will not only bridge the gap between access to locally grown food and meaningful employment, but will also help unlock additional sources of funding for new affordable housing developments. With local food production in one hand and affordable housing in the other, we’re simply putting our hands together.
Committed to Calgary
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Food action plan
We are supporting Calgary’s initiative to remove barriers and create opportunities to build a sustainable and resilient food system.
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Economic resilience
The past year has seen oil prices at historic lows, resulting in significant job losses and challenging times for all Calgarians. We want to be part of Calgary’s economic comeback.
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Downtown revitalization
Our farms will help to reduce the vacancy rates of existing commercial spaces, while attracting investment into heritage building preservation and improving Calgary's building stock.
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Sustainable building policy
As part of our commitment to creating an integrated, impact driven ecosystem, our hyper-local vertical farms will help The City of Calgary achieve net-zero emissions.
Climate resilience
Sunspring Farms will harness wind and solar energy to ensure that we leave behind a better future for generations to come.
Vertical farming pairs well with the use of renewable energy. The energy used to grow the food within our farms can be offset through the use of wind and solar energy. Additionally, by aligning our vision with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, we will help The City of Calgary achieve net-zero emissions while providing safe, healthy, and locally grown produce.
Live, laugh, lettuce.
At Sunspring Farms, our values as a social impact enterprise are what drives us to bring our farms and vision to life, every single day.
“Sunspring Farms is a perfect fit for The City of Calgary because hyper-local vertical farms align with its goal to achieve net-zero emissions by creating a path to sustainable food production, distribution, and access to affordable products.”
Chad Kolesnik - Co-Founder & CEO
Proudly Calgarian
Our pilot farm is coming soon!
The founders at Sunspring Farms have been part of the Calgary community for most of their lives. It only made sense to bring our vision to life in the city that has given us so much over the years.