What if Northerners could get their vegetable greens year-round on the day of harvest?

Chris Shaver and partner Nicolinea Minakis began offering pre-orders from their brand new, vertical indoor farm Northern Greens on Jan. 17.

The couple announced that after two years of preparation, their Old Town-based company is beginning to line up customers for home-delivery of day-of-harvest, freshly grown microgreens.

SA国际影视传媒淚n the North, thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a real lack of fresh produce,SA国际影视传媒� Shaver said. SA国际影视传媒淚f you go through your fridge and you look where your peppers are coming from or where your spinach is coming from or bananas or tomatoes, it ranges all the way from California down to Ecuador. WeSA国际影视传媒檙e talking 5,000 to 8,000 kilometers away from where our produce travels.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen somethingSA国际影视传媒檚 travelling thousands of kilometers, by the time it gets here, it loses its nutrient value and itSA国际影视传媒檚 just not the same.SA国际影视传媒橲A国际影视传媒�

Shaver provided the Hub a tour of his operation on Jan. 26. The location features four racks of seven plant varieties being treated in his shop under a detailed and specific growing schedule.

All products are grown in a peat-moss based soil and no fertilizers are used. He also uses reverse osmosis filtered water to treat his crops.

While still finalizing his harvest methodology, heSA国际影视传媒檚 working toward a consistent seven-day crop cycle that will include 10 racks SA国际影视传媒� all solar powered.

SA国际影视传媒淏ecause ISA国际影视传媒檓 harvesting on this crop cycle every seven to 10 days throughout the whole year, I could grow close to two acres of produce in this 250-square-feet space,SA国际影视传媒� he explained. SA国际影视传媒淭here are a lot of details that go into timing and planning so that you get a weekly harvest that is consistent and efficient.SA国际影视传媒�

Careful consideration, for example, has to be given to temperature and humidity, scheduling the right lighting times and following rigid germination methods.

Among the species heSA国际影视传媒檚 working with are sunflowers, a brassica mix, kaiware radishes, wasabi mustard, broccoli, red radish and sweet peas.

Shaver estimates that there are likely up to 20 plant varieties that he can grow in his operation and swap in and out for immediate availability, depending on customer demand.

SA国际影视传媒淭he plants have to be fast growing varieties and not any plant will grow in this way,SA国际影视传媒� he added.

The launch of the business comes at an opportune time. With supply chains to grocery stores under stress, Shaver said it only make sense for people to think about how they get the best value in produce.

SA国际影视传媒淲ith all of the nonsense happening now, you donSA国际影视传媒檛 know where your food is going, how long itSA国际影视传媒檚 been sitting or how itSA国际影视传媒檚 been processed,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淪o I really think this (microgreens) is going to be the future.SA国际影视传媒�

A fourth generation farmer and a welder from Tillsonburg, Ont, Shaver arrived in Yellowknife five years ago to work in structural steel construction at Stanton Territorial Hospital. He intended to save money from that summer employment to reinvest into his Ontario family farm that he had been running.

Traditional family farming is a practice that he admits is especially difficult for young farmers with the corporatization of agriculture and massive farm conglomerates competing.

SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 a lot of risk and liability and a lot of money youSA国际影视传媒檝e got to put up for a possibility of a good harvest,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淔ive years ago, (micro-green farming) was just getting started and 10 years ago it did not exist. So I believe the future of agriculture is going this way.SA国际影视传媒�

Like many Northerners, he fell in love with the region and stayed, briefly landing a job at Ekati Mine.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen Covid hit is when the idea for Northern Greens came together because I got laid off at Ekati,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚 just started growing these plants. I started with these radishes in our small kitchen and started doing it kind of as a hobby.SA国际影视传媒�

As time wore on, Shaver did further research into controlled environment agriculture and the technology associated with the industry.

By following urban farming entrepreneur Kimbal Musk and consulting with Calgary-based Micro Acres, Shaver realized that he could grow many different types of plant set varieties indoors and meet consumer and retail needs.

Coming to Hay River

Challenges came as Shaver and Minakis attempted to expand in Yellowknife and meet the citySA国际影视传媒檚 bylaws for agriculture and food production. The biggest obstacle was to find a location with a separate shop for growing space.

SA国际影视传媒淭he only place that is zoned in Yellowknife for greenhouses or indoor agriculture is in an industrial area (Kam Lake) where they store fuel and waste,SA国际影视传媒� Shaver said. SA国际影视传媒淎griculture is still fairly new in the North, so thereSA国际影视传媒檚 not really any agricultural land and the government hasnSA国际影视传媒檛 really planned for it well.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 less than ideal. Just finding a place to buy is hard in that area. If you do find a place, (it) costs $600,000.SA国际影视传媒�

Towards the end of the summer a Vale Island home with separate shop space became available for far cheaper.

SA国际影视传媒淭his is exactly what we needed and we got it for less than half of (Yellowknife prices),SA国际影视传媒� he said.

The location is footsteps away from the FishermanSA国际影视传媒檚 Wharf and close to two grocery stores with which the company hopes to do business.

Minakis is the public face of the company, and sheSA国际影视传媒檚 aiming to provide additional help with deliveries and promotions.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 looking forward to contributing and picking up my favorite mixes and putting it together in one big package and doing things like getting salad kits together,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

Northern Greens can be reached through its Facebook page and by email at info@northerngreens.net.