Living in Canada’s centre has its challenges. We can all attest that temperatures of 30 below can put a damper on many facets of living, including producing and consuming clean, locally grown foods.

What if actively gardening in mid-January was a possibility? What if local households, communities, retailers, and restaurants could grow their own fresh, quality produce, year-round, with affordable hydroponic gardens? Les Verts Living, a Manitoba-owned, innovative agricultural business, in partnership with T&T Seeds, has developed indoor hydroponic systems that do just so.

Owners Rachel Green and her father Kerry have dedicated their lives to agriculture and making nutritious, leafy greens accessible to tables throughout the province.

An urban farming project is sprouting hope in downtown London, with trays of microgreens grown in a simple office space providing fresh, nutritious food to those facing food insecurity, while offering valuable job skills to adults with disabilities.

The PATCH does this all through an unusual setup that demonstrates how easily urban spaces can be transformed into productive farms in a cost-effective way, and how such transformations can stave off hunger in the community.

"It's really funny. We're in an office space, right in the core of downtown London, and we're growing veggies in trays on shelves that we bought from Costco," said Joe Gansevles, the coordinator of urban agriculture with the PATCH program, a Hutton House initiative.

Welcome back to your favorite source of pre-owned hydroponic equipment information!

This month, we’re bringing you:

1. Two exciting listings for the opportunists amongst us

2. A unique case study

3. A tip to sell more efficiently