In a country where three-quarters of fresh fruit is imported, a new agritech company is working to change how Canada produced and consumes berries. Based in Chilliwack, British Columbia, BeriTech is developing controlled environment systems to grow premium blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries during the off-season, aiming to close a billion-dollar import gap and strengthen national food security.

For over a decade, vertical farming has been hailed as a transformative force in agriculture, promising year-round production, local supply chains, pesticide-free crops, and efficient

land and water use. Early pioneers proved that leafy greens could thrive in controlled environments, attracting significant investment and global attention.

But recent years have revealed structural challenges. High capital costs, complex operations, and rising energy expenses have squeezed margins. Combined with a narrow crop focus on lettuce and herbs, many operators entered saturated premium markets with limited differentiation—leading to consolidation, bankruptcies, and a necessary industry reset.

Vertical farming works, but only under the right technical, economic, and crop conditions.

Canada’s leading manufacturer of high-density mobile systems, is proud to announce a strategic partnership with researchers from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) to support the development of a groundbreaking pollinator-independent indoor berry production.

This initiative is made possible through major support from the Weston Family Foundation, via the Homegrown Innovation Challenge Scaling Phase, which invests in innovative Canadian solutions to enable reliable, year-round berry production.

Canada is taking a step toward secure, year-round berry production. Montel Inc has partnered with Toronto Metropolitan University to develop a pollinator-independent indoor berry system. 

The project is supported by the Weston Family Foundation under its Homegrown Innovation Challenge Scaling Phase. The initiative supports Canadian innovations that strengthen domestic food production. 

In 2025, TMU researchers Professor Habiba Bougherara and Professor Lesley Campbell received funding of up to $5 million to continue developing a patented airflow and microclimate system. This system automatically transfers pollen between raspberry flowers without using bees. Pollination has been one of the most difficult challenges in indoor berry farming, especially in controlled environments. 

Montel Inc., Canada’s leading manufacturer of high-density mobile systems, is proud to announce a strategic partnership with researchers from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) to support the development of a groundbreaking pollinator-independent indoor berry production.

This initiative is made possible through major support from the Weston Family Foundation, via the Homegrown Innovation Challenge Scaling Phase, which invests in innovative Canadian solutions to enable reliable, year-round berry production.

In January, when snow blankets the ground and the sun disappears for 15 hours (or more), fresh, local summer strawberries can seem like a dream.

Thanks to a partnership between the University of Guelph and Agriculture and Agrifood Canada, that dream might be one step closer to reality.

“Our project is focusing on developing technologies to be able to produce strawberries year-round in Canadian greenhouses, and enable high-quality, high-yield strawberries at an affordable price,” said horticulture professor and project lead, Youbin Zheng.

There may be snow on the ground, but a group of local researchers are competing against three other Canadian teams to bring us fresh, locally grown berries all year round. We got the sweet and juicy details from food columnist Jasmine Mangalaseril.

In this The Globe and Mail opinion piece, Evan Fraser and Lenore Newman outline why climate change, shifting trade dynamics, and geopolitical uncertainty are forcing a rethink of how—and where—food is produced. That urgency is exactly what the Homegrown Innovation Challenge was designed to meet.

In January, when snow blankets the ground and the sun disappears for 15 hours (or more), fresh, local summer strawberries can seem like a dream.

Thanks to a partnership between the University of Guelph and Agriculture and Agrifood Canada, that dream might be one step closer to reality.

“Our project is focusing on developing technologies to be able to produce strawberries year-round in Canadian greenhouses, and enable high-quality, high-yield strawberries at an affordable price,” said horticulture professor and project lead, Youbin Zheng.

Two teams from Ontario, including one from the University of Guelph, are among four finalists in the $33 million Homegrown Innovation Challenge sponsored by the Weston Family Foundation.

Their goal is to find a way to grow berry crops in Canada year-round as a way of making this country more food resilient.