Acadia University: Greening Campus Food Production
Acadia University is the first post-secondary institution in Atlantic Canada to bring one of the Growcer’s hydroponic farms housed inside a repurposed shipping container onto their campus.
The university saw the opportunity to increase its commitment to campus sustainability and support its ambitious new food services plan for the school. In addition to providing a reliable supply of safe produce for the campus, it also creates a unique hands-on learning environment for students.
Project at a Glance
Installed in summer 2019 and located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.
Project goal: Increase Acadia University’s commitment to campus sustainability and support its food service operations.
Distribution model: The school’s dining and catering services use wildfire spring mix and baby arugula grown steps away from the cafeteria. In addition, 10% of the produce is donated to the student union food bank.
Impact: Beyond growing a stable, traceable supply of produce, the university also plans on using the farm as a living lab on campus where students can experiment with different growing methods.
Operator: The farm is operated by students in related programs such as nutrition.
Challenge
Acadia University prides itself on its commitment to sustainability, and was looking to level up its existing on-campus initiatives such as the Acadia Community Farm and its student group, Acadia Food and Fork.
For Laura Miller, director of food services at Acadia University, having a hydroponic container farm that can grow greens locally makes an impact on her day-to-day. The local growing season in Nova Scotia winds down in the fall. While there are greenhouses that extend the growing season by a couple months, Miller explains that by March, April and May, produce is coming from far away.
“I don’t have to worry about an E. coli outbreak because I grew it myself in the Growcer,” she explains. “I know I can grow safe produce and have it year-round for students.”
“This is just one example of out-of-the-box thinking at Acadia in support of our students and greening the campus.”
Solution
“For us, it’s that positive message, learning opportunity and minimizing our footprint.”
Acadia partnered with its food service provider Chartwells Canada to bring the Growcer’s hydroponic, vertical growing system to campus in August 2019.
The farm uses 90 percent less water than conventional farming methods and no synthetic pest control products. But, the real value add is that the farm is located only 50 feet from the dining hall. By producing food with fewer resources, Acadia lowers greenhouse gas emissions associated with campus operations and delivers fresher produce to students.
The project is part of the University’s larger food services plan focused on healthy eating, sustainability and affordability. It’s also aligned with Chartwells Canada’s Thinking Ahead Giving Back (TAGB) vision that pledges to tackle food insecurity locally and globally, as well as support student wellness and employment.
“For us and our needs here, we’re not using it for harvest, harvest, harvest, and reduce our costs, it’s more for ‘here’s our produce that we’re growing 20 feet outside our door that we didn’t have to ship in from the United States in the middle of February,’” Miller says. “For us, it’s that positive message, learning opportunity and minimizing our footprint.”
The Growcer farm provides an extra learning opportunity that isn’t offered elsewhere on campus, but ties in with the University’s environmental and entrepreneurship studies. The farm employs students in relevant programs, such as nutrition, allowing them to get a better understanding of produce cultivation methods and food security. Miller says other students love to hear from fellow students about what the experience is like.
It also provides the opportunity to showcase innovations in food services and what’s possible in a campus environment to the greater community. So far, Miller says, the feedback to the greens has been “super positive because it’s very fresh” and they’re appreciated by students and staff alike.
Results
Safe, fresh greens are grown within 50 feet of the dining hall.
10% of produce grown is donated to on-campus food banks.
The university plans on using the system as a living lab on campus where students and faculty members can experiment with different ways of growing.
The Growcer unit provides an extra learning opportunity that isn’t offered elsewhere on campus, but ties in with the University’s environmental and entrepreneurship studies.
Going offline?
Download a PDF version of Acadia University’s case study below: