Fresh Green Farms

Fresh Green Farms is Canada’s first fully-automated hydroponic vertical farm operating under the brand name “UP Vertical Farms.” Fresh Green Farms’ crops are grown under a controlled environment in water and remove the need for soil and pesticides. The farm also utilizes proprietary lighting technology to customize the solid level in the juice of a plant, known as brix levels, to improve the flavor of the baby leafy greens. Fresh Green Farms is capable of producing customizable baby leafy greens year-round in a 13 to 21-day growing cycle compared to 50 days in traditional farms. The company claimed that its vertical farming system produces crops 350 times more than traditional farming methods.

In November 2021, the company partnered with Oppy (a Canadian leading fresh produce grower, marketer, and distributor) to distribute UP Vertical Farm products via Oppy’s network of retailers. UP Vertical Farms launched its inaugural facility in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, in March 2023 , alongside Oppy, after spending nearly a decade researching and developing the latest technology which the company claims would grow crops at 350 times the yield of conventional field-grown greens.

Fresh Green Farms aimed to become Canada’s largest vertical farm by 2023 and was to expand its farming facilities. The company planned three phases in expanding its capacity. Phase I looked at running a 47,000-square-foot facility with a capacity to produce nearly 1 million kilograms of leafy greens annually by the end of 2022. The company targeted producing 3.6 million kilograms of leafy greens annually in a 150,000-square-foot facility upon reaching phase III (planned date undisclosed). The company also plans to expand its presence across North America including Canada and the US.