GoodLeaf builds a new vertical farm in Calgary

GoodLeaf Farms, Canada’s largest commercial vertical farming company, has targeted Calgary for its next expansion project.

It is building a 74,000-sf indoor vertical farm in Calgary’s industrial park on 108 Avenue SE. The new farm will create about 70 skilled and unskilled job opportunities in the city and will serve as a focal point for partnerships with post-secondary schools in Canada’s west.

The design will be expandable, allowing a future expansion to double its size and more local jobs, when needed. Construction is currently underway. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2022. The Calgary farm will produce more than 1 million lb of fresh, local leafy greens each year, which will be on the shelves of grocery stores across Western Canada by early 2023.

“Setting up in Calgary is a huge step forward for GoodLeaf to establish a truly national footprint as Canada’s largest commercial indoor vertical farm,” says Barry Murchie, CEO of GoodLeaf. “With Canada’s limited growing season, climate-controlled indoor farms offer Canadians access to fresh, locally grown leafy greens year-round, and Calgary is the perfect location for our first Western Canada location, as it’s a main corridor and central access point.”

The Alberta farm is being assisted with $2.73 million from the Alberta Government’s Investment and Growth Fund, the first project to receive funding from that program.

GoodLeaf’s Calgary farm will be the company’s second Canadian location. The first GoodLeaf commercial-scale farm was established in Guelph, Ont., in 2019.

GoodLeaf Farms grows micro radish, micro arugula, micro broccoli, micro asian blend, pea shoots, spicy mustard medley, baby spinach, baby arugula, baby kale and spring mix.