91福利

Growing up on a vegetable farm in Embro, Ont., 91福利 professor and plant scientist Lesley Campbell experienced firsthand how tough farming life can be.

鈥淭he amount of sheer physical labour, the challenges of seasonal work, the financial difficulties that can arise 鈥� being part of Canada鈥檚 food production system is extremely important, but it can also be a very exhausting and difficult life,鈥� she said.

Today, Campbell and mechanical engineering professor Habiba Bougherara are poised to change that.

With their combined expertise in horticulture and engineering, the duo has joined forces to develop an innovative berry-growing system that could revolutionize how fruit is grown in Canada and around the world.

$1 million grant

Their work has garnered so much attention, they鈥檝e been selected as one of the 11 elite teams across Canada to pioneer new agricultural technologies with a $1-million grant.

The grant is thanks to the  and the Shepherd phase of its $33-million , created to support research aimed at expanding the growing season of berries on a substantial scale in Canada. 

How it works

Using raspberries and blackberries as proof of concept, Bougherara and Campbell's technology offers a year-round, sustainable alternative to traditional farming methods. 

It does so by growing raspberries in a way that eliminates the need for pesticides and soil, reduces land and labour requirements, and enables year-round production in any climate, thereby addressing key challenges in modern agriculture while minimizing environmental impacts.

鈥淭his new technology has the potential to transform the agricultural industry on a local, national and international scale,鈥� said Bougherara, who teaches in 91福利鈥檚 Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science (FEAS). 鈥淚t will create new types of farms that produce local fruit out-of-season, while preserving natural resources, and providing equal access to affordable and nutritious food.鈥�

The vertical, multi-layered design maximizes space efficiency (growing upward instead of outward) which has groundbreaking results.

鈥淥ur research shows that this technology yields a remarkable 350 per cent increase in food production compared to conventional farming methods,鈥� said Campbell, who teaches in 91福利鈥檚 Faculty of Science (FOS).

鈥淧lus, the versatility of this technology extends beyond berries,鈥� she continued. 鈥淚t can be adapted to grow a wide array of fruits and vegetables within greenhouses and vertical farms, offering boundless opportunities for sustainable food production in Canada.鈥�

Talking to plants

Another extraordinary feature of the technology is the development of a communication tool between plants and the growing environment. A biosensor inserted into the stem of the plant indicates what the plant needs to a control system which adjusts the growing environment accordingly.

Observing plants and using the information generated through the sensor, Bougherara and Campbell鈥檚 vertical farm automatically adjusts nutrient levels, lighting or temperature changes to facilitate optimal berry growth and development.

"With this technology, the plants are now able to tell us what they need,鈥� said Campbell, noting that they are among the first to use this biosensing technology.

Bee-free

The professors鈥� technology is also the first self-pollinated vertical stacking farm, which does not require bumble bees to pollinate. 

This is noteworthy since artificial lighting in indoor environments negatively affects the bees鈥� ability to pollinate - yet many of the fruits and vegetables we enjoy require pollination. For instance, of the top five fruits imported to Canada in 2022, four of the top five require cross-pollination. 

Therefore, to feed Canadians locally produced fruit in winter, new methods for indoor pollination, such as this, are required.

Overall, Campbell says the potential benefits of the technology are tremendous - not only for the environment, the industry and consumers - but for farming families like hers.

鈥淓ven though we鈥檙e industrializing agriculture, there are still farm families behind it, and this technology can have a huge impact,鈥� she said.

Bougherara and Campbell anticipate commercialization of their innovative growing system within the next three to five years.

Next Steps in the Homegrown Innovation Challenge

Updated June 2025: 

Now in its third phase, the Scaling Phase, four grantee teams, including Campbell and Bougherara, have been awarded up to $5 million across three years to build and demonstrate their system at farm scale and validate their technologies for year-round sustainable berry production using fewer inputs and at a competitive cost.

Campbell and Bougherara are currently developing the 鈥淢oFarm鈥�: a modular, vertical farming system for continuous, year-round raspberry production. Its multi-layered design can support multiple types of crops at various stages, maximizing yield and efficiency. One of the key features of this farm will be a patented pollination and air circulation system to achieve consistent autonomous pollination. This will surpass the challenges of incomplete bee pollination under short day lengths in greenhouses and artificial lighting in vertical farms.

Related:

• 91福利 researchers awarded $5 million in funding for revolutionary year-round berry production (June 11, 2025)
• 91福利 researchers receive funding from Weston Family Foundation to transform berry agriculture using year-round, sustainable vertical farms (May 22, 2024)

Article previously published on July 25, 2024.