Our Mission

About GreenReach

Building practical solutions for food security and food sovereignty through research, collaboration, and real-world validation.

GreenReach is a multidisciplinary, research-first solution development organization, focused on building and validating practical tools and business models that advance food security and food sovereignty.

We lead applied studies and pilot projects with support from a diverse network of faculty and students across Canadian colleges and universities—bringing together expertise in agriculture, engineering, data, and operations to test what works in the real world.

Our Journey

2022

Farm-to-Table "Kitchen Table" Study

In 2022, GreenReach led a farm-to-table "kitchen table" study, meeting with contributors across the food ecosystem—including indoor, greenhouse, and traditional growers, major grocers, and produce wholesalers.

This work highlighted several consistent themes:

  • The need to better support small-to-medium growers
  • The importance of greater market access through independent grocer channels
  • The opportunity to improve growers' operational efficiency
  • The need to better understand how four-season agriculture can fit within the broader agri-supply system
2024

"Living Grocer" Pilot Farm

In 2024, GreenReach led a "living grocer" pilot farm designed to study the impact of operating a commercial farm inside a downtown commercial center.

The pilot explored:

  • Environmental performance and operational conditions within a dense urban setting
  • Local infrastructure impacts, including wastewater and electrical demand
  • Community engagement and purchasing behaviour—what people bought, who bought it, and why
  • The economic viability of the living grocer business model

Where we are today

Today, GreenReach is focused on turning insights from these studies—especially the Living Grocer pilot—into scalable, validated solutions that help communities grow more food locally, efficiently, and reliably.

That work is now a product: the Community Builder Hub — free for community boards, non-profits, and municipalities to run farmers markets and food hubs, with vendor applications and booth maps, CSA pre-orders and pickup, wholesale order pickup, drop-sites and delivery routes, rewards, and SNAP/EBT token programs. Alongside it, the Light Engine farm-builder platform helps growers run any operation — indoor, box farm, or open field.

Find a market or CSA near you →  ·  Start a community market — free →