Urban farm that grows vegetables all year round, feeding people on a fixed income

An indoor vertical hydroponic modular farming system in the heart of Timmins is equipped to produce fresh, nutrient-dense vegetables year-round, making any day a harvest day.

“We really want to make sure that we have a nutrient rich food," said Marc Rodrigue, owner of Borealis Fresh Farms.

"Not that every plant is not nutrient rich or other foods are not nutrient rich, but it’s just when you’re talking about food miles and you’re looking at kale you get from Texas for example, by the time it gets harvested and shipped and exposed to all the environmental toxins, the diesel fuel, the this, the that- we just wanted something a little bit cleaner."

The farm is located in the middle of Timmins where it can reach people whose access to fresh food is limited.

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“We are onsite on a district social services administration board property, next to a senior building and it’s kind of nice to have the seniors there and there’s a school next door and there’s an income housing just done the street as well," Rodrigue said.

He told CTV News that the proximity allows him to walk over to the seniors' apartment building to bring them freshly harvested leafy greens.

Carole Duguay, the community services manager for the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board (CDSSAB,) said the residents at the apartment complex were a bit surprised by the gesture at first.

“They were like what? You’re delivering kale?” said Duguay.

“But now ... they’re using the product; we’re providing a recipe book so they’re getting the knowledge of what to do with the kale.”

The board has submitted proposals to various ministries and if accepted, it would be able to expand the partnership it has with Borealis Fresh Farms.

“This is one of the things that leads to long term health impacts," said Brian Marks, the CDSSAB’s executive director.

"As a deliverer of primary care through our ambulance programs, you know here’s an opportunity to provide something to a population that we already house or we already serve through income maintenance to provide a foundation for maybe a lifetime of nutritious food preparation.”

Rodrigue and his team also grow basil, Italian parsley, swiss chard and joi choi.

For recipes and to stay up-to-date about the farm, visit their blog.