Live Q&A with Growcer's First Farmer
How Rocket Greens went from 0 to 40,000 leafy greens sold
Using a vertical farm to grow fresh greens helped to keep the price of produce steady year-round in the northern region.
In 2017, The Growcer team installed their first growing unit at The Churchill Northern Studies Centre after Churchill, Manitoba lost its only land link to resources in a spring storm. Three years later, Carley Basler, sustainability coordinator at The Churchill Northern Studies Centre and operator of their Growcer system, and Corey Ellis, co-founder, and CEO of The Growcer, participated in a live Q&A to reflect on the lessons learned.
Carley recounts what her early days were like as an operator, sharing the “plant anxiety” of starting the project with little growing experience. However, when looking back she’s learned how resilient plants can be and to take everything in stride.
In addition to growing inside the unit, Carley also answers questions about the Launch Box - a direct-to-consumer weekly subscription service that she used to distribute the greens. She details:
How the ‘Rocket Greens’ brand came to be, and its nod to the Centre’s history
How at $20/week for a standard box or $10/week for the mini box, her pricing is still lower than what locals expect from the store
How she splits and delivers the produce
How the subscriber turnover is very low, with many people who have signed on in the first week still receiving Rocket Greens
In addition to the Launch Box, Rocket Greens also supplies two local grocery stores, the hospital cafeteria, and, depending on the season (like polar bear season in Churchill), extra restaurants and businesses. Corey adds what models he’s seen work for other Growcer units, as well as what were the key elements that contributed to the success.
Finally, the Q&A touches on the areas of support that Carley received from The Growcer, from help on the business side connecting with grocery stores to getting in the weeds of plant health. The two speakers also answer audience questions about community fit, food safety, and how Growcer updated its own practices based on what was learned.
Webinar breakdown
2:21 - How Carley got started on the project and milestones from the past three years
8:37 - What distribution looks like, including how the Launch Box subscription works
22:24 - Answering an audience question about project profitability and community-driven models
29:40 - Carley shares her experience as an operator
34:14 - What the early days were like for the Growcer team
37:28 - What was the most important support received in the early days for Carley
40:35 - Adapting to the seasonality of the community
45:19 - Is the Growcer a fit for you?
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Growcer’s farm specifications and capabilities
Which leafy greens you can grow and projected yields
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