Rising Food Prices Drives Demand for Container Farming in Canada
Growcer Stays the Course on Accessible Container Farming
"With rising food prices and controversy surrounding major retail chains, people are really looking for ways to grow locally. On a community level, there is more interest than ever from schools, municipalities and Indigenous communities for local food solutions," says Alida Burke, co-founder and Chief Financial Officer at Growcer, the Ottawa-based container farming company established ten years ago.
A busy year since Freight Farms acquisition
The past year has been a wild ride for Growcer as the company navigates its acquisition of its U.S. competitor Freight Farms and its network of farms. Growcer announced its acquisition of Freight Farms' assets in July 2025, a few months after Freight Farms filed for bankruptcy.
For Growcer, this acquisition ensured that farmers relying on Freight Farms' system could continue growing food for their local communities and receive support. It also ensured the survival of years of experience in modular and vertical farming innovation. Together, Growcer and Freight Farms represent over 20 years of combined experience in the sector. That said, integrating that much knowledge and research into Growcer's activities presented its fair share of challenges.
For more information:
Growcer
Alida Burke, Co-founder and CFO
Michael Thaler, Horticulture Research Scientist
Stephanie Gordon, press inquiries
info@thegrowcer.ca
press@thegrowcer.ca
https://www.thegrowcer.ca/
Publication date: Mon 8 Jun 2026