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The Lab Growing Summer Fruit All Year — with Zero Soil

Dr. Youbin Zhenga developed a hybrid greenhouse-vertical farming system powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that can grow strawberries year-round.

Beneath the curved panes of glass and steel on a University of Guelph research farm, rows of strawberry plants stretch toward LED lights that glow with a soft hue—lighting that knows exactly when to shine, for how long, and at what intensity. The roots of these plants sit not in soil, but in a smart, autonomously managed substrate. Around them, sensors quietly hum, collecting a symphony of data points on humidity, light levels, and carbon dioxide concentrations. The brain behind it all? Artificial intelligence.

This is not a science fiction vision of farming. It’s the real work of Dr. Youbin Zheng and his team at the University of Guelph, who have just entered the final, Scaling Phase of the Weston Family Foundation’s $33-million Homegrown Innovation Challenge. Their mission: to develop a hybrid greenhouse-vertical farming system that can grow strawberries—Canada’s most beloved berry—365 days a year, with a fraction of the environmental footprint.

“Our technologies are designed to optimize growing conditions in greenhouses,” says Zheng, a professor in the School of Environmental Sciences. “They will allow us to produce strawberries out of season, use less energy, save resources and increase production and efficiency with a lower environmental impact.”

The Challenge is more than a competition—it’s a nationwide call to reimagine how we grow food in a country where snow can fall eight months of the year and supply chains are increasingly vulnerable to climate and geopolitical shocks. The goal? A resilient, sustainable, self-sufficient food system for Canada.

“Supporting the resilience, sustainability and self-sufficiency of Canada’s food systems has never been more important,” says Dr. Shayan Sharif, interim vice-president, research and innovation at the university. “We are delighted to see Dr. Zheng and his team advance their innovations in this next phase of the Challenge.”

Zheng and his collaborators—including researchers from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the University of Guelph’s AI Lab—are among four finalists now tasked with turning research prototypes into fully scalable, commercially integrated technologies. Their focus? Three breakthrough innovations:

  • A smart, electricity price-based lighting system that adjusts illumination based on real-time power costs and plant needs.
  • A net-zero, climate-controlled greenhouse-vertical farming hybrid system.
  • An autonomous rootzone management platform that monitors and optimizes water and nutrient delivery with precision.

“Until now, we’ve been testing our systems in small-scale greenhouses at the University and AAFC,” Zheng explains. “The next step is collaborating with leading industry partners, including automated technology suppliers like Hoogendorn America, and integrating our technologies into their existing commercial systems. Once our technologies have been demonstrated in commercial greenhouses, they can be translated across Canada and internationally.”

This next phase is high-stakes. Only one or two of the four Scaling Phase teams will be crowned as Challenge winners—and receive a $1-million prize to take their vision even further.

But for Zheng, it’s not just about the money.

“We always find it rewarding when our research has impact in the real world,” he says. “Especially at this moment, when we are facing big challenges like climate change and shifting trade dynamics, using controlled environment agriculture to produce fresh produce locally is becoming even more important for Canada. We’re proud to be able to do something good for our whole population and for the environment at the same time.”

This is more than a university-led project. It’s a multi-partner ecosystem that includes South Essex Fabrication – Center for Horticultural Innovation, Sollum Technologies, Climate Control Systems, Meteor Systems – North America, the University of Windsor, and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. Together, they’re building not just a greenhouse—but a new blueprint for year-round, smart agriculture in Canada.

If successful, the implications are profound. Local strawberries in February. Reduced reliance on imported produce. And a model for how Canadian ingenuity can help solve global food security challenges without plowing more land or burning more fossil fuels.

with files from University of Guelph

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