Through a donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Red Deer Food Bank (RDFB) recently purchased a second hydroponic sea can — a shipping container modified to function as a hydroponic farm. This new equipment will allow the food bank to grow fresh produce all year for its hamper program.
Mitch Thomson, RDFB’s executive director, considers this grant a “big leap forward” for the food bank, allowing it to offer a consistent supply of fresh produce. “We receive limited amounts of fresh produce from our grocery partners,” Thomson said. “Outside of harvest time, it has been extremely difficult for us to provide enough fresh produce to our clients. The development of our hydroponic food production initiatives and greenhouse allows us to be more self-sufficient in providing healthy food options for our clientele.”
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According to RDFB, one hydroponic container can produce 400 heads of lettuce per week. At capacity, with both containers running, 1,000 to 1,500 heads of lettuce can be produced per month. The RDFB farm also supports 2,688 tomato plants in different growth stages. Their harvest will render about 20,000 cherry tomatoes a month for the hamper program.
Thomson noted, “The hydroponic facilities are now growing lettuce, spinach, radishes, herbs, bok choy and other leafy greens that will complete the emergency hampers for many.” RDFB also produces cabbage, carrots, spinach, and kale in its greenhouse. They plan to grow peppers, Swiss chard and strawberries in the future.
These programs are in place because we saw an issue with the lack of healthy, nutritious foods in the hampers we provide to the community we serve,” said Samantha Paterson, RDFB greenhouse and food production manager. “We aim to aid people in getting access to fruits and veggies. With the rising costs of food produce like lettuce …, it’s concerning that people cannot get a more balanced diet in our community.”
The hydroponic equipment grant is just one of many endeavours the Church has undertaken to support RDFB over the years.
“We have been pleased over the years to partner with the Red Deer Food Bank. This project, in particular, will be an ongoing blessing for so many families and individuals in Central Alberta,” said Douglas Higham, Red Deer Alberta Stake president. “After meeting with the local food bank leadership to understand their needs and challenges, we were thrilled to support this [initiative] as we strive to fulfill our divine mandate to care for the poor and needy among us.”
Thomson emphasized that partnerships like this make RDFB’s mission to alleviate hunger and improve community well-being much more achievable. He added, “We truly appreciate the participation and engagement from our local community to make our work possible.”