Winter Farm raises $46M to scale up vertical farming production

BROSSARD — Winter Farm, the Quebec-based company whose aim is to replace 10 per cent of Canada’s strawberry imports, has raised $46 million. This was achieved 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).

Winter Farm will use this funding to build a vertical farm dedicated to strawberry production. The Vaudreuil site will ensure that nearly one million kilograms of Fraise d’hiver strawberries will reach the market each year.

In the coming months, six 600 m2 vertical farms will be added to two existing farms already in operation. These installations will allow Winter Farm to produce high quality strawberries year long, 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 announces the acquisition of Les Serres Vaudreuil, formely 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.

“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, 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. Their involvement will directly contribute to making Vaudreuil a world-class technology showcase for the vertical farming industry!”