Within weeks, 10 acres of tomatoes will be growing in a Dauphin greenhouse, destined for distribution all over the Prairies.
“It’s a little bit surreal, because we’ve been at it for such a long time, but at the same time, we’re all so ready,” said Maria Deschauer, managing director of Vermillion Growers.
Why it matters: The facility has been noted for its use of technology, including a water reclamation system, digital controls and sensors and structure designed for efficiency.
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July 27 marked the grand opening of the company’s state-of-the-art greenhouse in northwestern Manitoba. The event comes after seven years of planning, raising capital and building, according to Deschauer.
Construction began in August 2022. The previous year was dedicated to laying down 18 kilometres of underground pipe and conduits.
The first tomato plants will go in at the beginning of September, Deschauer added.
Vermillion Growers plans to raise tomatoes hydroponically. The small plants put in this fall will grow and produce all winter, then be torn out and replaced next summer. The first crop is expected to yield around 10 million pounds (4.5 million kilograms, or 4,500 tonnes) of tomatoes on the vine — groups of still-connected tomatoes sold at supermarkets.
It sounds like an enormous quantity, but it’s a “very, very small percentage,” of the tomatoes Canadians eat, and will only displace a few per cent of what is typically imported, Deschauer said.
In 2019, Canada produced about 270,000 tonnes of tomatoes and imported nearly 60,000 tonnes, mainly from the United States and Mexico, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada data shows.
The Dauphin company will be working with distributor Red Sun Farms, which has connections with grocers like Loblaws and Federated Co-operatives Ltd. Its tomatoes will be sold in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, according to Deschauer.
The site will require 30 to 34 full-time employees, she said. At the moment, about 60 per cent of their workforce is composed of newcomers from Ukraine.
Vermillion Growers also has plans to expand up to 70 acres of growing space, allowing it to grow more varieties and eventually add cucumbers and peppers. This could require up to 210 workers, said Deschauer.
The company is partnering with Assiniboine Community College to give practical learning experience to the school’s horticulture students. Then it may be able to offer jobs to those students.
In 2020, Vermillion Growers told the Co-operator it had chosen the location because it’s within a half-day drive of Winnipeg, Regina and Saskatoon, putting it in range of major grocery distributors.
The community was also supportive, Deschauer said in a July 25 interview. Community members helped fund the company through the province’s Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit program, which gives a tax credit of up to 45 per cent to individuals and corporations who back Manitoba startups.
Vermillion Growers raised about $3.5 million through that program, Deschauer said.
