Published February 2022

What if there were a way to grow the highest quality, best tasting produce 365 days a year – and what if there were a way to do it right here in Alberta? Our answers to these questions have been in the works for almost a decade, so it brings us great joy to finally share it with you. Introducing our newest agricultural endeavor: Sunterra Greenhouse! 

At Sunterra, our passion has always been delivering food of the utmost freshness and quality. With over 50 years of rich history in farming, we believe that great things can be achieved using the power of the sun. As an Alberta-based business, the clear choice was to build our greenhouse in the prairie province where it all began and continues to grow. “But why Acme?” You may ask. We sat down with Ray Price, president of Sunterra Group to find out. 

“Our family has been here for over 70 years now; we love the community, and we think that it can really develop,” says Ray, beaming as he tells us about his hometown. “Also, it’s because it’s where I live, I don’t have far to commute,” he laughs. Alberta is also known for its high sun exposure — in fact, it’s one of the sunniest places in Canada, making it perfect for growing.

The new Sunterra Greenhouse facility is also near to the existing Sunterra Farms, Sunterra Meats and Soleterra d’Italia processing plants and cattle feedlots owned by Ray’s brother. This means locally produced pork, beef, cured meats and now produce all coming from one area. “We have a cluster of activity that is really agriculture oriented,” explains Ray. “By the time this greenhouse is fully built out, we’ll have close to 350 people employed in this area, and that makes for a really good agricultural cluster. We think the other value-add will follow.”

When it comes to the building itself, the technology and detail involved in keeping it running is nothing short of amazing. We spoke with Amanda Hehr, president of Sunterra Greenhouse, to learn more. 

“We can completely control the microenvironment in the greenhouse,” explains Amanda. “That means the temperature, the humidity levels, the irrigation and the amount of CO2 we’re driving in all support photosynthesis. This precise growing environment means we’re getting the best quality produce and the most efficient use of space, too.” 

After being planted in bags of nutrient rich soil, the plants are exposed to the natural heat and light of the sun as well as energy efficient LED lights. This means we’re able to grow all year long, even throughout the often dark and frigid Canadian winters! With this technology, the yield per square meter is much greater than what you’d find in traditional field growing. Not only does this mean more delicious fruit for you to enjoy, but more efficient use of natural resources as well.

We’re also dedicated to powering our greenhouse with as much clean energy as possible. The CO2 created from our natural gas fuel is pumped back into the greenhouse to boost production rather than simply being released into the atmosphere. We’re also conscious of our water consumption and are proud to say all the water used in our greenhouse is recycled. Whatever is left over after hydrating the plants is reformulated and cycled back through to be used again. Rain, snow and condensation that forms inside the building is also captured to be used as part of the water supply. With all these measures in place, our greenhouse uses only 6 to 10% of the water that would be used in a traditional outdoor growing setting. 

Sunterra Greenhouse’s glass facility currently houses two varieties of strawberries over 2.5 acres and three types of tomatoes over 17.5 acres. Though plenty of time and dedication goes into the planting and growing processes, the care doesn’t stop there. Once fully ripened, our strawberries are individually hand-picked from the plant and delivered straight to Sunterra Market locations across the province for you to enjoy. Since our berries are grown nearby in Acme, we can allow them to fully ripen on the plant rather than being picked 10 to 12 days before they are ripe like many internationally imported fruits. This means you’ll always get the freshest, juiciest strawberries with the best flavour and texture. No more mushy, overripe fruit or hard, sour berries picked before their optimal time. 

We’re proud to offer our customers a fresh food experience unlike anything they’ve ever had before. The launch of Sunterra Greenhouse products will begin this month with our Dutchess strawberries – the crown jewel of strawberries! This Dutch variety has a plump, juicy texture and splendidly sweet flavour you’ll love. Stay tuned for more information and the launch of our tomatoes coming soon.  

Order Sunterra Greenhouse strawberries and tomatoes online here!