Episode 127: How Controlled Environments Are Rewriting Canada’s Food Map

Winter doesn’t stop a ripe tomato anymore. We sit down with Richard Lee, Executive Director of the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, to unpack how controlled environment agriculture is rewriting the rules on local food, energy use, and year-round supply. From Leamington’s vast glass acreage to the algorithms that decide when lights switch on, we trace the systems that keep cucumbers, peppers, and lettuce thriving when the thermometer says otherwise.

Richard breaks down the economics and engineering: why energy and labor dominate costs, how double energy curtains and heat reclamation lower the load, and how light abatement keeps night skies dark while plants get what they need. We explore the limits of latitude—how yields can drop just an hour north—and why that pushes investment into supplemental lighting and smarter controls. Then we widen the lens to remote communities where a head of lettuce can travel by ice road. Vertical and container farms emerge as practical solutions, especially as new energy options become realistic, bringing fresh produce, skills, and food sovereignty closer to home.

We also dig into crop diversification, from the rise of greenhouse lettuce to the promise and setbacks of strawberries. Precision agriculture takes center stage: closed-loop irrigation, substrate growing on rockwool or coco, and sensor networks that alert growers in real time. It’s a portrait of modern agriculture that blends sustainability with scale, aiming to replace imports with Ontario-grown food that’s consistent, clean, and close.

Curious how this technology could serve your community—or your kitchen? Hit play, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who thinks fresh vegetables can’t be local in February. And if you enjoyed the show, leave a review to help more listeners find us.