Grocery Store Innovation: Legacy Co-op

The Legacy Co-op team celebrating the launch of their modular vertical farm outside their Yorkton store.

Project at a Glance

• Launched in September 2023 in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.

• Project goal: Grow the freshest produce year-round under a store-created brand for the community.

• Distribution model: Produce is sold steps away from where it is grown, under the Co-op created brand “Neighbourhood Fresh,” with plans to sell the greens at other locations.

• Impact: Shelves that had previously struggled to remain full because of shortages, recalls, and low quality are overflowing with fresh produce.

• Operator: A farm operator and produce manager split farm duties.

“As a Co-op, our core is rooted in our members and communities. We are built on the idea of being truly local. We strive to offer high quality products and services that bring value to our members.”

— Katie Hull, Finance Manager

Getting innovative

Before adding a Growcer farm, Stew Winter, the produce manager at Legacy Co-op, described sourcing as a headache.

“It’s always trouble for berries, and lettuce, and spinach was always on recall in January and February. Salmonella is always in the news [in] the last three years,” Winter shares.

“People are paying the extra dollars [for Neighbourhood Fresh] because they know they’re not going to have that issue with [these greens.]”

The idea to purchase a Growcer modular vertical farm, with the intention to grow fresh greens year-round, came from the store’s finance department. The idea stemmed from the finance manager coming across an article highlighting the possibility of growing fresh produce locally, even in the depths of winter.

“As a Co-op, our core is rooted in our members and communities. We are built on the idea of being truly local. We strive to offer high quality products and services that bring value to our members,” Katie Hull, finance manager for Legacy Co-op says.

“They’re always looking for new ideas and to be innovative around here,” Winter adds.

As a result, in September 2023 Legacy Co-op launched their hydroponic modular farm to grow produce year-round for their store.

Legacy Co-op’s Growcer farm en route to Yorkton.

Bringing new life to grocery shelves

Now, stocking shelves looks a bit different. Freshly harvested produce is placed in harvest bins and walked over to the produce cooler where it is packaged immediately and on site. “And then it gets put onto the shelf as soon as they’re packaged,” Winter explains.

Legacy Co-op grows 14 different varieties, including five types of lettuce, two choys, spinach, two varieties of kale, and four herbs: cilantro, dill, mint, and parsley.

For Winter, the first harvest was a huge milestone. “It was incredible and the hype around it,” Winter says.

The reaction from customers was positive, with many surprised that fresh produce was being grown in Saskatchewan during the winter months. The most talked-about feature, however, was the long shelf life.

“The freshness of it,” Winter starts. “And you explain the spinach you’re buying right now, we just harvested it yesterday and they were totally amazed. It’s good for me because I get to interact with the customers.”

New role and challenges

Jesse worked in the grocery store before being approached by Stew to become the farm’s operator. She always had an interest in plants, and even had a smaller hydroponic herb tray set up at home.

“Going from that understanding to this [Growcer farm] has been an interesting challenge and the understanding of everything has been the most exciting part and seeing how everything works,” Jesse, now a farm technician, says.

During the farm’s launch, the Growcer team visited Legacy Co-op and spent a week with the team to commission the farm, making sure everything was working properly, and that Jesse knew what her next steps would be as a newly-minted farm operator.

During the farm’s launch, the Growcer team visited Legacy Co-op and spent a week with the team to commission the farm, making sure everything was working properly, and that Jesse knew what her next steps would be as a newly-minted farm operator. As part of the support they receive, Legacy Co-op gained a farm success manager at Growcer dedicated to helping them with all aspects of farm operations and optimization.

“It was a lot of information all at once, but the support email is very nice to have. They’re pretty good at getting the answers out to us as fast as possible,” Jesse says.

Jesse says the feedback from customers has been positive.

“I noticed a lot of [customers] are very surprised at the amount that we are able to grow in such a small space,” Jesse says.

Creating the Neighbourhood Fresh brand

The creation of the Neighbourhood Fresh brand was another opportunity to have some fun.

Legacy’s marketing team launched a contest among its 400 employees to name the new product line. What would you call your store-grown greens that are fresh, locally grown, and super delicious?

The contest received 140 submissions and “Neighbourhood Fresh” won out of all the entries.

“Naturally, Neighbourhood Fresh aligns with our mission. It’s hyper-local and I love that it offers our community transparency and control over a portion of our food supply. It offers us the opportunity to give back to our communities, as any excess produce can be donated to those who need it most,” Hull says.

The future of store-grown produce

Legacy Co-op wants to expand beyond its store shelves in the future.

“We want to expand to other [retailers] around here, and I’ve had loads of retail reach out asking if we were eventually going to sell to them too if we have enough product,” Winter says. “Eventually we would like to be dealing with other retailers and local restaurants around here as well.”

Legacy Co-op sells fresh produce grown steps away from the store, and customers gain access to a reliable supply of fresh produce.

Results

• Legacy Co-op sells fresh produce grown steps away from the store, and customers gain access to a reliable supply of fresh produce.

• Legacy Co-op grows 14 different varieties, including five types of lettuce, two choys, spinach, two varieties of kale, and four herbs: cilantro, dill, mint, and parsley.

• The store engaged existing employees by running a name contest and also offering new employment opportunities as produce technicians in the farm.

• Nearby retailers are reaching out to see if Legacy Co-op will be expanding beyond its region to sell to their locations.

Compare Vertical Farms

This guide compares and contrasts key aspects of vertical farms, helping you make decisions about your own business, understand more as a student or educator, and ultimately dispel any myths and legends.

Download the guide to better understand:

• DIY vs. Turn-Key Solutions

• All About Yields

• Horizontal vs. Vertical Stacking

• DWC vs. NFT Hydroponic Setups

• Choosing Your Provider