Our Lettuce is available at grocery stores throughout the Greater Edmonton Area. It is available at most Sobeys/Safeway stores and many independent grocery and specialty stores in the Greater Edmonton area. If our produce is not available in your community retail stores please let us know. We will make our best effort to ensure you can purchase our produce in your neighborhood.
Do you offer any produce besides lettuce?
Currently, we grow several varieties of lettuce. We have produced other products in the past, such as Kale, Japanese Spinach, Basil, Mint, Arugula, and Purslane. We have realized that the largest demand is for lettuce and we are currently focused on meeting that demand.
Where is West Grow Farms lettuce grown and packaged?
Our farm is located within Edmonton City limits and that is where we grow and package our produce.
Is your produce more sustainable than field-grown lettuce?
Yes. Our produce requires approximately 95% less water than filed-grown produce, and it is not exposed to nature’s elements so we consistently provide optimum growing conditions. Our produce does not require washing prior to use and this also reduces water usage and ensures maximum taste and texture. We deliver our produce to retailers on the day it is harvested to ensure taste and nutrient levels are maximized when you purchase our products. We attempt to minimize the distance traveled to market to significantly reduce the impact our produce has on the environment. Our produce is also grown with the use of carbon-neutral energy for our operations which also assists in minimizing our environmental impact. We truly believe your food should not travel further than you did to get it, and we are committed to reducing food miles to the extent possible.
Is your Packaging Recyclable?
Our packaging is designed to be recyclable but the Edmonton Area does not have a facility to accommodate this recycling. We have selected and use clamshells that are reusable and many of our customers use the clamshells for other household uses on a regular basis. We continually search for more environmentally friendly packaging solutions. It’s a fine balance between substitute packaging and product preservation. Our produce has a shelf life of approximately 21 days vs imported produce of 4 days. Our packaging and quickness to market are major components of that quality. We have chosen to maximize product quality and encourage our customers to reuse the clamshells.
How do you support your community?
Our community is incredibly important to us. We know there is a need for fresh produce at food banks, and we have committed to donating at least one percent of everything we grow to local organizations. We also encourage our management team and employees to participate in the support of local organizations by volunteering whenever possible.
Is your Lettuce Pre-Washed?
We do not use pesticides or chemicals in our growing process. We also grow without the use of soil by misting the roots of each plant with nutrient-rich water at regular intervals. This helps ensure our produce is clean throughout the growing process and thus does not require washing. We also ensure that the harvesters use gloves when our produce is harvested and packaged. These initiatives ensure our produce is ready for use right out of the package and does not require washing. This effort in maintaining a clean product also assists in maintaining the taste and texture or our produce.
Is your Lettuce Organic?
We are confident that West Grow Farms Lettuce is Naturally Beyond Organic.
A key criterion of being certified Organic is the treatment and maintenance of soil. As we do not use soil, our growing process precludes our product from organic certification. We assess our produce as Naturally Beyond Organic because we don’t use chemicals, preservatives, or GMO inputs. We grow indoors in a controlled environment to minimize pests and external containments. We also minimize water usage when compared to conventional Organic farming.