Top 5 Benefits of Container Farming at Your Co-op

The Yellowknife Co-op added a Growcer container farm to their co-op to provide year-round produce to their members.

Are you looking for a fresh addition to your co-op grocery store? Adding a container farm allows your store to be the source of some of the freshest, locally-grown, resource-efficient produce.

Here are five benefits to adding a hydroponic container farm steps away from your store:

1. More ROI for produce year-round

Growing your own produce reduces your reliance on suppliers and allows you to avoid supply chain mark-ups. You can sell fresher produce year-round at better margins than what you can with supplied produce.

What can you grow? Lots. Anything from kale, spinach, lettuce, bok choy, herbs, and more, can be grown within a Growcer farm and you can switch it up based on consumer demand.

We’ll help you create a brand that your members will recognize and keep them coming back to your store!

2. Member satisfaction and retention

Container farming allows you to create a unique experience for your customers. Customers can:

request what produce is grown;
purchase store-brand produce or prepared goods; and
at the Yellowknife Co-op, customers can see the produce being grown through a screen - a special experience not typically seen in chain stores.

These special touches build engagement and help with member retention.

3. Employee engagement

The Growcer farm is made to “plug and play” and it takes one week of on-site training to have employees comfortable with the system. Your co-op’s container farm becomes a source of pride and oasis for employees who enjoy participating in the growing process from beginning to end.

Justin Nelson, general manager of The Yellowknife Co-op, put it best: “On a cold dark day in Yellowknife, there’s no better place to be than inside the Growcer unit. When you’re actually harvesting the product that you’re selling it’s a great feeling”.

For co-ops, Growcer’s units can be operated by existing employees who see it as an opportunity to take pride serving their community.

4. Reduced environmental impact

Growcer’s container farms are an innovative way to standout from competitors and provide quality produce to your members.

Container farming grows a variety of produce in a controlled environment that is time, space, and resource-efficient. The best part? Your container farm can be located steps away from your store eliminating the need to transport produce long distances.

At the Yellowknife Co-op, produce is harvested immediately before it’s sold and this method eliminates the need for plastic packaging.

5. Demonstrate innovation

Embrace efficient growing systems that bring fresher produce to your customers and cement your store as a leader who is embracing agriculture technology.

Your membership invests in you - repay their loyalty by pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. The real value is not only the produce grown, but the ability for a container farm to offer your business a local source of produce, a source of diversified employment, and an additional stream of revenue.