GoodLeaf Farms is launching a mobile tour in partnership with Sobeys Inc. aimed at promoting indoor vertical farming and expanding awareness of Canadian-grown leafy greens.
The company said the multi-stop experiential tour will travel across Ontario and Atlantic Canada, began in Toronto on March 14, with additional stops planned in April and May. The initiative is designed to educate consumers about year-round indoor growing and address perceptions about the distance leafy greens travel before reaching store shelves.
The announcement comes as a new national survey commissioned by GoodLeaf suggests regional differences in consumer attitudes toward locally grown produce. According to the company, residents in Atlantic Canada are more likely than other Canadians to prioritize locally grown leafy greens, while also being more likely to believe those greens travel long distances, often more than 1,500 kilometres, before reaching grocery stores.
“People want fresh, Canadian-grown food they can feel good about, and Atlantic Canadians have shown just how much they care about that,” said Jeff Barlow, Chief Marketing Officer, GoodLeaf Farms. “When food travels thousands of kilometres, freshness, quality and nutrition suffer. We’re proving that greens can be grown sustainably, locally, throughout the year, and we’re taking that message on the road to show people exactly how it’s done.”
The Good For Life Tour will feature a 53-foot custom-built trailer equipped with a live vertical farming demonstration. The display is intended to show how leafy greens can be grown indoors without pesticides throughout the year, including during winter months.
Visitors will be able to speak with experts and sample GoodLeaf products in smoothies and chef-prepared offerings, the company said.
“GoodLeaf and Sobeys share a commitment to expanding reliable, year-round access to Canadian-grown greens along with a focus on quality, choice and sustainability, and this tour offers people an opportunity to better understand how their favourite greens are grown and made available year-round with GoodLeaf,” added Barlow. “Bringing the Good For Life Tour to the East Coast is especially meaningful as both companies have roots there, and it’s a region that relies heavily on imported produce. This tour is about showing what’s possible when innovation, shared values and local food come together.”
The survey findings cited by GoodLeaf indicate that 81 per cent of respondents outside Atlantic Canada consider it important that their leafy greens are grown domestically, compared with 89 per cent in Atlantic Canada.
At the same time, 64 per cent of Canadians believe leafy greens travel at least 100 kilometres before reaching grocery stores.
Awareness of indoor vertical farming remains limited, according to the results. Nationally, 28 per cent of respondents said they believe the approach is more environmentally sustainable than traditional farming. About 24 per cent said indoor vertical farming uses less water, while 20 per cent said it involves no pesticides. More than two in five respondents, or 44 per cent, said they are not familiar enough with indoor vertical farming to form an opinion.
GoodLeaf, founded in Halifax in 2011, operates three commercial-scale indoor farms across Canada that supply retailers and food service operators. The company uses multi-level vertical farming systems designed to grow produce in controlled environments.
Sobeys Inc., one of Canada’s two national grocery retailers, operates approximately 1,600 stores across all 10 provinces under banners including Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods and Lawtons Drugs, along with more than 350 retail fuel locations.
Through the tour, the companies say they are aiming to build consumer understanding of indoor agriculture while reinforcing the availability of domestically grown greens in different regions.
The Good For Life Tour is scheduled to continue through the spring, with stops intended to reach communities in both central and eastern Canada.
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