The XLRator AGTech Cluster Partners With QuantoTech Solutions Ltd. To Provide Hyper-Local, Hyper-Fresh Food

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: (August 5, 2021)

The XLRator AGTech Cluster aligns with Fraser Valley-based DirectFood.store and Agrilyze to form a partnership with QuantoTech Solutions Ltd., Providing BC Residents with Access to Hyper-Local, Hyper-Fresh Food

Abbotsford, BC – DirectFood.store and Agrilyze are excited to announce a strategic partnership with QuantoTech Solutions Ltd., an LED and AGTech systems supplier based in Vancouver, BC. The strategic alliance will allow the local agriculture and food tech companies to assist QuantoTech in developing its presence locally to deliver technology that provides hyper-fresh and hyper-local produce on any scale.

As a member of the BC Cleantech Supercluster, QuantoTech strives to develop environmentally friendly and efficient solutions. Equipped with a long lifespan, efficient energy consumption, and minimal heat waste, LEDs are an excellent investment for farms of all sizes. Utilizing this technology, QuantoTech builds hydroponic shelving systems that take traditional grow layouts and transforms them into vertical arrangements, optimizing the growing area inside of greenhouses and increasing output.

QuantoTech’s highly scalable vertical farming technology allows them to operate several micro-farms close to the consumer, thereby minimizing the carbon footprint of their farms and the time produce spends travelling. In addition, by reducing the time in storage, with the help of DirectFood.store, QuantoTech can ensure the freshest and highest nutritional value produce available.

As partners, DirectFood.store, the Abbotsford-based e-commerce platform, Agrilyze, i-Open’s agriculture data analytics suite of software and QuantoTech are working together to establish an innovative future of scalable food systems. They aim to increase quality, decrease costs and allow for a lower carbon footprint when growing vegetables year-round in many places where such production is not feasible for most or all of the year.

This fresh food trend started at close to nothing and is expected to boom in the near future. Since 71% of Canadians say they need to understand where their food comes from, these technological advancements play a huge role in helping the Fraser Valley progress toward more innovative, sustainable, and reliable solutions to address local and global challenges.

Founding member of QuantoTech, Alycia van der Gracht, adds,

“We are very excited to join the DirectFood.store community. We look forward to using their platform to deliver high-quality leafy greens directly from farm-to-fork. Through our partnership, we can minimize the time they spend travelling and maximize their quality and nutrient value. In addition, by using our vertically staged grow technology developed right here in the Lower Mainland, we’re able to produce leafy greens consistently year-round.”

In addition to this project, QuantoTech works closely with the University of the Fraser Valley (which has also partnered with DirectFood.store and Agrilyze) to research solutions for minimizing electrical and thermal waste and test plant monitoring systems. The project is also helping to train the next generation of students on different types of vertical farming solutions.

Associate Vice President of Research, Engagement, & Graduate Studies at the University of the Fraser Valley, Garry Fehr, Ph.D., shares,

“UFV is happy to be supporting ongoing research on QuantoTech’s vertical farming operations on our Chilliwack campus, which provides fresh, local produce to the Lower Mainland through the DirectFood.store. We look forward to working together to further expand the capabilities of year-round vertical growing,”

Sr. VP, Product Development of DirectFood.store Colin Schmidt comments,

“This partnership, and by extension QuantoTech’s work with the University of the Fraser Valley, is a key part of DirectFood.store’s overall strategy to provide consumers and commercial buyers with fresh leafy greens year-round from within the local region. Their “grow recipes” provide consistent results, and their fine-tuned programmable LED lighting is great from both a cost and environmental perspective.”

This new partnership is a testament to a growing AG-driven tech sector and the opportunities that exist due to the collaboration between organizations, industry and educational institutions. Combined efforts and development of a cohesive hub are laying down the foundation, establishing the Fraser Valley as a Modern Farming Community and the AGTech Capital of Canada. The XLRator AGTech cluster is excited to work together to help engineer solutions to combat food insecurity and waste. It will also continue to promote a collaborative ecosystem that is open to mentorship, discussion and insights into the future of horticulture.