At Safeway, we're committed to offering fresh, high-quality produce all year long. Thanks to our local growers who use greenhouse farming, we’re able to provide fresh fruits and vegetables no matter the season. By growing in climate-controlled environments, greenhouses extend growing seasons and ensure a steady supply of top-notch products. This method helps protect crops from unpredictable weather while supporting sustainable farming practices. Whether it’s summer or winter, greenhouse farming allows us to bring you fresh and flavourful produce year-round.
What is Greenhouse Growing?
Greenhouse growing, or farming, is a method of cultivating plants within a controlled environment that regulates temperature, humidity, and light. These structures protect crops from external weather, creating the ideal conditions for plant growth. With this controlled setting, greenhouses allow for year-round cultivation and harvesting, even through Canada’s cold winters.
Benefits of Greenhouse Farming
There are many key benefits of greenhouse growing, including:
- Extended Growing Seasons: Greenhouses create a stable, controlled environment that allows for year-round cultivation. This enables crops like tomatoes and cucumbers to be grown even during the coldest months, ensuring fresh produce is available outside of the traditional growing season.
- Climate Control: The ability to regulate temperature, humidity, and light inside a greenhouse creates optimal conditions for plant growth, regardless of the weather outside. This control can lead to higher yields and more consistent product quality.
- Protection from Pests and Diseases: The enclosed structure of a greenhouse provides a barrier against pests, diseases, and extreme weather events like frost, heavy rain, or drought. This reduces the need for pesticides and helps minimize crop loss.
- Sustainability: Greenhouse farming promotes sustainability by helping to lower the carbon footprint associated with transporting out-of-season produce. It also supports local food production, reducing the reliance on imports and contributing to a more self-sufficient food system.
How Greenhouse Growing Works
Greenhouse structures are usually made from glass or plastic, allowing sunlight to enter while retaining heat inside. Temperature and humidity are carefully controlled using ventilation, shading, and supplemental heating or cooling systems. This creates an ideal environment for crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs. There are various growing techniques used in greenhouses, including:
- Soil-based Growing: Traditional soil gardening within a controlled environment.
- Hydroponic Systems: Growing plants in water enriched with nutrients.
- Vertical Farming: Maximizing crop production by utilizing vertical space within the greenhouse.
Our Canadian Growers
Canadian farmers and growers are essential in delivering fresh produce to communities across Canada. Through sustainable farming practices and innovative methods like greenhouse farming, Canadian growers can cultivate a diverse range of fruits, vegetables, and herbs while supporting regional agriculture and minimizing the environmental impact of transporting food over long distances.
Our dedicated local growers are committed to building strong, community-focused partnerships that not only support the environment but also benefit the people within the community.
Windset Farms
Founded in 1996 by brothers John and Steve Newell in Delta, BC, Windset Farms grows delicious produce, including tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and more. They have 92 acres of greenhouses and use sustainable practices such as energy and water conservation, CO2 reduction, advanced food safety, and integrated pest management systems.
Greenhouse Delights Food
Greenhouse Delight Foods is a family-owned and operated business with three decades of experience and many more to come. Located in the heart of the Fraser Valley, they are fully immersed in the community and the greenhouse industry. Sustainability is at the core of their farming practices. From water conservation to hydroponic processes to integrated pest management, they are committed to carrying their legacy into the future of agriculture.
Sunterra Farms
Founded in 1970, Sunterra Farms began greenhouse production in 2020, leveraging Alberta’s ideal sunlight conditions to grow fresh, ripe produce year-round. Their greenhouse operates as a self-contained ecosystem, shielding tomatoes and strawberries from pests and unpredictable weather, enabling them to provide fresh produce well beyond Alberta’s typical growing season. They take pride in offering hand-picked produce that is harvested at its peak ripeness, ensuring exceptional flavour and quality.
Big Marble Farms
Located in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Big Marble Farms is one of the largest greenhouse operations on the Prairies. Founded by Ryan Cramer, the farm is dedicated to providing fresh produce to Canadians every day of the year. With over 200 acres of production space, they grow cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, and eggplant, serving families across Western Canada from Manitoba to B.C. Big Marble Farms takes pride in its sustainable farming practices, using less water, pesticides, and energy, along with eco-friendly packaging to minimize its environmental footprint.
11. Compliments Nashville Hot Mayo Spread
The perfect sandwich spread, this Compliments Nashville Hot Mayo will get your tastebuds tingling. It's sure to make any burger, burrito, taco, fajita, or even sushi roll stand out. Pack it for your next campfire cookout or backyard BBQ.
15. Spirited Mickie Rye & Cola BBQ Sauce
Take pulled-pork burgers to the next level with Spirited Mickie BBQ Sauces, made with natural flavours and quality ingredients. This summer, we're introducing Rye & Cola-flavoured sauce, made with Canadian rye whisky, cola flavour, and a hint of lime.
11. Compliments Nashville Hot Mayo Spread
The perfect sandwich spread, this Compliments Nashville Hot Mayo will get your tastebuds tingling. It's sure to make any burger, burrito, taco, fajita, or even sushi roll stand out. Pack it for your next campfire cookout or backyard BBQ.
15. Spirited Mickie Rye & Cola BBQ Sauce
Take pulled-pork burgers to the next level with Spirited Mickie BBQ Sauces, made with natural flavours and quality ingredients. This summer, we're introducing Rye & Cola-flavoured sauce, made with Canadian rye whisky, cola flavour, and a hint of lime.
