Key Takeaways
- The Weston Family Foundation has entered the Scaling Phase of its $33 million Homegrown Innovation Challenge, investing up to $5 million each in four Canadian teams.
- The challenge aims to create year-round, sustainable, and cost-competitive berry production systems in Canada.
- Teams from Simon Fraser University, Toronto Metropolitan University, Université Laval, and the University of Guelph will test solutions under real-world, farm-scale conditions.
- Innovations span vertical farming, autonomous pollination, bioponic transplants, and net-zero greenhouse design.
- The program emphasizes collaboration across research, industry, and government to build a resilient domestic food system.
Weston Family Foundation Supports Year-Round Berry Production Through Scaling Phase
The Weston Family Foundation has announced its next major step in the Homegrown Innovation Challenge, a multi-year initiative aimed at reducing Canada’s dependence on imported produce by promoting sustainable, homegrown agricultural innovation. Now entering the Scaling Phase, the Foundation will fund four teams to bring their berry production systems to market readiness, with each team eligible for up to $5 million over three years.
The initiative’s focus remains on extending the growing season for berries—blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries—within controlled environment agriculture (CEA) systems built for Canadian climates.
Four Canadian Teams Selected to Scale Solutions With Weston Family Foundations’ Support
Chosen from eleven Shepherd Phase participants, the following four teams will now move forward:
Simon Fraser University (Jim Mattsson)
In partnership with BeriTech Inc., this team is advancing a high-intensity, intercropped greenhouse system for blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. The system integrates plant physiological manipulation and targeted cropping cycles to deliver consistent, year-round yields.
Toronto Metropolitan University (Habiba Bougherara & Lesley G. Campbell)
The “MoFarm” is a modular vertical farming solution incorporating autonomous pollination. Designed to mitigate pollination issues under artificial lighting, the farm’s layered structure supports multiple crop stages to enhance productivity and system adaptability.
Université Laval (Martine Dorais)
Their “VertBerry” bioponic platform will scale up an aeroponic berry transplant system that also produces pesticide-free fruit. The solution includes rootzone control, microbiome integration, HVAC efficiency, and waste-heat recovery—aiming to improve yield and reduce energy use.
University of Guelph (Youbin Zheng)
This project combines vertical farming and greenhouse techniques in a net-zero energy system. With AI-powered rootzone management and lighting that adapts to electricity pricing, the team targets a sixfold increase in yield over conventional greenhouse methods.
A National Push for Sustainable Food Systems
Garfield Mitchell, Chair of the Weston Family Foundation, emphasized the importance of this initiative: “Over the next three years, Scaling Phase teams will need to demonstrate large-scale implementation of their systems and prove market readiness. And most importantly, the berries need to be tasty and nutritious.”
The Scaling Phase aligns with broader goals to foster a national ecosystem of researchers, growers, and technology developers that can respond to future food security challenges. The Challenge underscores Canada’s commitment to building robust, sustainable food systems using science-driven and practical innovations.
