Churchill Northern Studies Centre produces up to 50 harvests annually from a hydroponic sea can in remote subarctic Manitoba.
Living in the north comes with many challenges; being so remote, with no road access, means shipping and supply issues, a high cost of living, food security concerns, and long, harsh winters with extreme cold, lots of snow, and months when daylight is pretty limited.
That said, there are plenty of reasons people love living here. Being surrounded by nature and wildlife is something special, and northern communities tend to be close-knit and supportive. There are also opportunities for hunting, fishing, and foraging, which are important parts of life for many people.
Growing food can be a challenge, though. We don’t have topsoil in Churchill due to the continuous permafrost, so if you want to grow plants, you often need to bring in soil and other supplies. On top of that, our growing season is short, usually only about three to four months, so there’s not a lot of time to get things growing before winter comes back around.
Located in the subarctic, 23 km east of the town of Churchill, Manitoba, Churchill Northern Studies Centre’s composting and hydroponic programs work together to build a closed-loop local food system that serves restaurants, food banks, and low-income residents. Photo courtesy of Churchill Northern Studies Centre.
Being the Sustainability Coordinator at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre has given me the opportunity to help address some of these challenges firsthand. The role has allowed me to create new programs and workshops focused on sustainability and local food production, while also helping provide fresh greens and soil amendments to the community. Having grown up in Churchill and now living here full-time for the past seven years, I’ve found it incredibly rewarding to work on practical solutions that support food security and help make northern living a little more resilient.
Some of these programs and workshops have focused on helping people connect with local food sources and gain confidence in growing their own food. We organize berry-picking outings, providing transportation to harvesting areas up to 28 kilometers outside of town, along with a bear guard to ensure everyone can participate safely. We’ve hosted seed-starting workshops that highlight healthy soil and plant care at every stage.
We also have our annual seedling giveaway program to help people make the most of their short growing season. We start seedlings in February and donate them at the end of May, giving residents a head start before summer arrives. The results have been amazing as community members have successfully grown everything from pumpkins to watermelons.
We’ve also been working with the school through seed-starting workshops and hands-on lessons about plant care and plant life cycles. Together, we’re helping greenify community spaces by growing vegetables that students help care for throughout the season. It’s been a great way to get young people involved in local food production and show that, even in the North, it’s possible to grow more than many people might expect.
Growing food in the North isn’t just about producing fresh vegetables; it’s also about building healthy soil and creating sustainable systems suited to our unique environment. With natural topsoil in short supply and our community landfill having burned down, diverting organic waste has become more important than ever.
To address both challenges, we’ve created a closed-loop system that transforms food waste and other organic materials into nutrient-rich compost. Through our industrial composting program, ‘Composting for Community,’ materials that would otherwise be discarded are returned to the soil, reducing waste while creating a valuable resource for local gardeners. For every pound of food waste diverted, we prevent 3.8 pounds of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere.
We provide this compost free of charge to community members, giving people access to soil amendments that can improve plant growth and make gardening more successful. By growing food, composting organic waste, and sharing those resources with the community, we’re helping create a more sustainable local food system and making it easier for residents to grow their own food despite the challenges of our northern environment.
Speaking of growing food in the North, one of our biggest projects is our hydroponic sea can, which can hold up to 1,800 plants at a time. With careful scheduling and year-round production, we harvest up to 115 plants each week for distribution through our community subscription program. Since its Launch in 2017, ‘Rocket Greens’ has provided more than 100,000 fresh leafy greens to Churchill residents.
Churchill’s Rocket Greens hydroponic program grows over 100,000 servings of fresh leafy greens annually inside a repurposed sea container in remote subarctic Manitoba. Photo courtesy of Churchill Northern Studies Centre.
As most northern communities struggle with food sovereignty, our Rocket Greens program has also created a unique donation-based initiative called ‘Nourish the North’ where participants can receive a subsidized Launchbox free of charge for up to two months each year. Priority is given to elders and those with disabilities or low incomes. The program is built on trust, so no documentation is required to participate. We also provide a weekly email with guidance on using the greens, along with tips for proper storage in the fridge or freezer to help them last up to 8 months.
Because the hydroponic system operates year-round, we’re able to grow and harvest food regardless of the weather outside, producing up to 50 harvests each year. We grow a wide variety of greens, including lettuces, kales, spinach, collard greens, Swiss chard, and Asian greens. We also grow fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, chives, sage, rosemary, dill, cilantro, and oregano.
The produce grown through Rocket Greens reaches all corners of the community. We supply local restaurants, diners, cafeterias, and food banks, helping increase access to fresh, nutritious food in a place where produce can be expensive and difficult to obtain. Seeing fresh, locally grown food available year-round has shown what’s possible when innovation, community partnerships, and a commitment to food security come together in the North.
