Saskatchewan’s Legacy Co-op Board of Directors have approved a modular farm project to be operated on its grocery store site in Yorkton.
“Through this project we will secure safe, healthy leafy greens grown own our own locations, as a part of our sustainability pillar. Given the volatility in price and supply of leafy greens right now, it was a great time to invest in this type of operation,” stated Bruce Thurston, general manager of Legacy Co-op.
Legacy Co-op will add a 10 foot by 40-foot, insulated, pre-fabricated modular growing system behind the Yorkton food store.
“The container is currently in the building stages and will arrive for placement in the spring and the first crop will take six to eight weeks from grow until harvest," continued Thurston.
The system includes everything needed to grow fresh produce all year, securing that food is not trucked hundreds of miles or dependent on weather events.
Benefits of this type of project, according to Legacy, include:
• fresh, sustainable, and safe produce grown in any climate all year
• unique hands-on learning and educational experiences
• promotion of healthy, nutritious eating and wellness
• community engagement through partnerships and donation initiatives
• increase in self-sufficiency of our food supply
• creation of meaningful employment opportunities
• creation of an economically self-sufficient project with predictable costs
• allows Legacy Co-op to offer a house brand to differentiate them from the market
• up to 140 different types of leafy greens can be grown
“We are very excited to see the benefits that this type of project will add to our food operation,” stated Teresa Polegi, food division manager for Legacy Co-op.
