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Affinor’s vertically grown strawberries hit store shelves in B.C.

Affinor Growers has shipped its first harvest of vertically grown strawberries to Four Seasons Farm at the Granville Island Public Market in B.C.

The vine-ripened greenhouse strawberries, known as Delizzimo, are being sold through distributor, Berrymobile.

Affinor grows the strawberries using their rotating towers which are patented in Canada, USA, Colombia, and Aruba. The towers are in Affinor’s 15,000 square foot greenhouse in Abbotsford, B.C. and plants were grown from seedlings over the winter of 2022.

“I look forward to people tasting our strawberries for the first time,” says Affinor CEO Nick Brusatore. “This successful commercial pilot validates our technology, processes, and year-round growing cycle. The next step is the Abbotsford property scale-up to 82,000 square feet of greenhouse facilities to produce strawberries at eight levels in our newly designed Atlantis greenhouse all for the local BC fresh markets.”

Dubbed “Atlantis,” the new greenhouse is projected to double the capacity of the four-level towers currently used by Affinor, while substantially decreasing costs and increasing yield. Using eight levels instead of four, the new greenhouse will also accommodate strawberries, Romaine lettuce, kale, and spinach in soil or hydroponic systems.

In an updated provided Apr 19, Affinor says they shipped their first order of strawberries to the IGA on Robson Street in Vancouver, B.C.

Source: Affinor Growers

Note: This story was updated on Apr 20 with more details on the eight-level growing space in the proposed greenhouse, as well as shipment to IGA, reflecting a follow-up news release from Affinor dated Apr 19.