Search
Better Farming OntarioBetter PorkBetter Farming Prairies

Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


'Cubic farming' in Quebec

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Using his company's proprietary Cubic Farming system, an urban farmer headquartered in Pointe Claire, Que., claims he will be able to grow 500 plants per square foot a year, the Financial Post reports. Urban Barns Foods Inc. is one of a growing number of urban controlled environment farms – indoor farms within cities.

Urban Barns' chief executive and president Richard Groome claims that, when intended upgrades are completed, Urban Barns will be able to grow 500 heads of lettuce a year per square foot of space. In an interview with ABC Radio National, Groome said "this is the highest-density mechanized machine in vertical farming we've seen in the world, so we think we have a good two to three year lead on most people."

The flagship barn, located in Mirabel, Que., is growing lettuce, basil, kale and a variety of micro greens. It currently can grow 63 heads of lettuce per square foot a year. The Urban Barns website says a cubic farm yields up to 400 times more produce while using 94 per cent less water than conventional farming methods.

The Financial Post article adds that a head of greens takes less than 30 days to grow and then, within hours of picking, will be on the shelf of a local store.  The company already has deals with Sobeys and with Quebec produce distributor Hector Larivée, and recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Bamford Produce Company Limited, which will be the primary distributor of Urban Barns products in Ontario. BF

Current Issue

October 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Save Time and Costs with the Portable MiniCombine

Monday, September 29, 2025

MiniCombine Delivers Fast and Accurate Grain Sampling The MiniCombine is a portable, fully self-contained electric unit designed to simplify grain sampling with speed and precision. Suitable for a wide range of crops including wheat, barley, sorghum, oats, soybeans, peas, field beans,... Read this article online

Shell Rotella’s SuperTractors competition

Friday, September 26, 2025

Farmers put in long hours and endless dedication to feed and support their communities, and Shell Rotella is proud to spotlight these farmers with the fifth annual competition. Coinciding with —Sunday, October 12, 2025—the virtual event invites farmers across North America to share... Read this article online

BF logo

It's farming. And it's better.

 

a Farms.com Company

Subscriptions

Subscriber inquiries, change of address, or USA and international orders, please email: subscriptions@betterfarming.com or call 888-248-4893 x 281.


Article Ideas & Media Releases

Have a story idea or media release? If you want coverage of an ag issue, trend, or company news, please email us.

Follow us on Social Media

 

Sign up to a Farms.com Newsletter

 

DisclaimerPrivacy Policy2025 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top