Hi everyone! 
I’m Hillary Proctor, founder of Bio Berries Farms in Manitoba. I’ve just joined CFIN and would love to connect with others working in food innovation, greenhouse growing and the Canadian food supply chain.
I’m developing a proposed 100,000-square-foot strawberry greenhouse near Winnipeg, with the goal of making fresh, locally grown strawberries available to Manitoba consumers for more of the year.
The concept includes a vertical/carousel growing system, LED lighting, climate controls and biomass heating, with a potential combined heat and power system. The project is currently in the development and financing stage, and I’m connecting with growers, technical experts, potential partners and buyers as I work through the next steps.
I’d particularly love to hear from anyone with experience in:
Greenhouse strawberry production or controlled-environment agriculture
Vertical growing systems, lighting or climate technology
Biomass energy, greenhouse heating or CHP
Food distribution, retail, packaging or cold storage
Developing or financing an innovative food project in Canada
If you’ve worked on something similar, what’s one thing you wish you’d known early on? I’d love to hear about your experience, exchange ideas or connect directly.
Thanks for welcoming me to the community!
Hillary Proctor
Founder & CEO, Bio Berries Farms
bioberries.ca