Nearly $895K announced for Calgary greenhouse project

A Calgary greenhouse project aimed at reducing electricity use in indoor food production is receiving up to $895,000 in federal funding.

Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Heath MacDonald announced September 8, 2026, that SmartGRO Bioengineering Inc. will receive up to $894,673 through the Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) Program’s Research and Innovation Stream. The announcement was made during a visit to Hydragreens Produce Ltd. in Calgary, where commercial-scale trials are taking place.

The funding will support the development and testing of a lighting system that uses pulsing LED lights and plant-monitoring technology. According to SmartGRO, the system adjusts lighting based on information collected from the crop throughout the growing process.

The company says controlled testing found crops grown under the system produced similar harvest weights to those grown under conventional LED lighting while using up to 80 per cent less electricity.

The funding will help move the project into commercial-scale testing at Hydragreens’ Calgary greenhouse.

“Canadian agri-businesses are leading the way in creating innovative solutions to reduce emissions and build a more resilient agriculture sector,” said Minister MacDonald. “With support from the ACT Research and Innovation Stream, SmartGRO can develop new technology that has the potential to help Canadian farmers grow more food while using less electricity.”

Hydragreens is contributing $916,197 toward the project and is serving as the host site for product demonstration and validation trials.

“We’re excited to partner with SmartGRO to test this advanced technology under real-world commercial growing conditions,” said Marc Schulz, president of Hydragreens Produce Ltd. “Improving energy efficiency is essential to the future of indoor agriculture.”

According to AAFC, the project aligns with the federal government’s National Food Security Strategy, a 10-year, $3.2-billion initiative announced earlier this year. The strategy includes $750 million dedicated to expanding year-round fruit and vegetable production through greenhouses, vertical farms, and other controlled-environment agriculture systems.

SmartGRO is also collaborating with several research and industry partners, including the University of Windsor, Lambton College, H&A Mastronardi Farms and Freeman Herbs, as part of the project’s validation work.

The ACT Program provides funding to support the development and adoption of technologies intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve efficiency across Canada’s agriculture sector. To date, the federal government has announced support for 535 projects under the program, representing more than $314 million in funding nationwide.