Ontario food bank partners on vertical farming project to provide for 700 families a week

Food Bank Partners with Vertical Farm | Don Hendry |

Feed the Need Durham is partnering with a local food producer using vertical technology to grow vegetables on a pilot project that will provide healthy food to more than 700 families per week.

The pilot project kicked off last fall with a $72,000 Seed grant from the provincial government’s Trillium Foundation. The grant will help Feed the Need Durham (FTND) reach more people in need by cultivating an internal method of food production that will provide local, sustainable, and environmentally friendly sources of fresh produce to the Market food banks.

Feed the Need is teaming up with Mighty Harvest, who run a 7,500 sq. ft. indoor vertical farming operation on Wilson Rd. S in Oshawa that grows herbicide/pesticide-free leafy greens, herbs, and microgreens for Toronto, Durham, and York restaurant and household clients.

Mighty Harvest will grow the greens in Oshawa, with Feed the Need hoping they can take the program in-house at the end of the 12-month pilot project.

“We’re leveraging their expertise by using their facility. They are going to be growing the food for us,” said Feed the Need Communications Director Melanie Correia. “But we would like to take over and expand the operation.”

Feed the Need in Durham’s Feed Durham pilot will address community food insecurity through innovation and technology, employing non-traditional modes of food production and supply. Through the partnership with Mighty Harvest and their vertical farming technology, the project will cultivate an internal method of food production that will provide local, sustainable, and environmentally friendly sources of fresh produce to the Market Food Banks, increasing healthy food for more than 700 families per week.

The pilot project will also look at how using technology in urban areas can build sustainable, community-driven food security that could transform neighbourhoods across the region.

“This initiative isn’t just about feeding people – it’s about providing dignified, sustainable solutions that restore economic agency,” said Feed the Need CEO Ben Earle. “We’re demonstrating that with the right approach, technology can be a powerful tool for social transformation. The grant has enabled FTND to increase the quantity of fresh produce served and ultimately reach more individuals and families in need. With these resources, Feed the Need in Durham is redefining what’s possible in addressing food insecurity.”

Feed the Need Durham works with 70 community food programs, hundreds of volunteers, and thousands of community supporters to distribute 2.5 million pounds of food each year.

Oshawa MPP Jennifer French met with the team from Feed the Need in Durham last month to hear about the partnership and the year-long project.

“This investment will ensure that Durham Region’s fight to address food insecurity remains a top priority,” she said. “Congratulations to Feed the Need and thank you to Ontario Trillium Foundation.”

Original Article: https://www.insauga.com/ontario-food-bank-partners-on-vertical-farming-project-to-provide-for-700-families-a-week/

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