Crop plants tend to grow upwards, but with vertical farming, they literally grow up.

The Growcer, an Ottawa-based company, allows farmers and others needing fresh vegetables to grow hydroponically in small, self-contained, universal units.

The company was founded in 2016. In addition to setting up clients with the small structures used for growing, the company provides them with complete infrastructure, training, support, and service for growing vegetables year-round, indoors.

The Growcer Business Development Manager Nick Halverson spoke about the company and its work to the annual meeting of the Hawkesbury Industrial Investment Association (HIIA) on May 6, 2026.

The Growcer attempts to address issues of supply chain vulnerability, inequality to food access, and climate limitations for those wanting greater access to fresh, green vegetables.

A 40 foot by 10-foot The Growcer structure with hydroponic equipment inside can grow 700 heads of lettuce per week. Crop planting is staggered to ensure a continuous harvest. A 200 amp/240-volt electrical service and water supply is required to make the system work. Farmhand brand software provides continuous monitoring of growing conditions inside the unit. Each unit has an estimated 30-year lifespan.

“You don’t need to be a professional horticulturalist to run these farms,” Halverson said. He compared it to a new appliance or electronic device, as “plug ‘n play.”

The Growcer system has been obtained by organizations and entrepreneurs across Canada. One example is an urban community farm in Halifax. Halverson said the system has given the experience of growing food to people without training in communities that want to grow food locally.

The Growcer’s other clients include Indigenous communities, schools, universities, hospitals, and municipalities seeking to improve the availability of locally grown fresh food.

 In Ontario, the food bank in Kingston has begun supplying fresh green vegetables using a Growcer system.

Halverson said it takes about 20 to 25 hours per week to operate one of the units.

The Growcer company itself has grown. In 2025, it acquired its largest US-based competitor.

Halverson said The Growcer wants to connect with projects and people in communities where there is a willingness to invest. The company itself has 40 employees and two offices in Ottawa.

The Growcer’s activities are not limited to community organizations and public institutions. Ferme Verdures Dorey in St-Isidore-de-Clifton in the Eastern Townships has begun using The Growcer system to grow vegetables year-round and supplement the fresh vegetables it grows in the soil during the annual growing season. Currently though, there are no installations in Eastern Ontario or southwestern Québec.

“We hope to change that,” Halverson said.

Organic certification is not possible with The Growcer. Halverson said that is because the crops are not grown in soil or under the natural sun.

More information about The Growcer is available at https://www.thegrowcer.ca/.