The federal government has announced $5 million for Kinghaven Farms through the AgriInnovate Program to adopt and customize automation and climate control technologies at the company's newly built CEA greenhouse, capable of producing up to 2 million kilograms of baby leafy greens annually.

Building on the recently announced $3.2 billion National Food Security Strategy and its $750 million dedicated to CEA, this funding supported the adoption of an innovative end-to-end mobile gully system that enables higher precision and faster cultivation, reducing labour costs and improving efficiency.

The project supports new to Canada, fully automated greenhouse technology that enables year-round production of local, high-quality leafy greens with the objective of reducing imported greens and carbon emissions, and eliminate long-haul transportation. The company aims to demonstrate the profitability and sustainability of using CEA and encourage adoption across Canada.

"We're honoured to receive support through the AgriInnovate Program as we continue advancing the automation and climate-control technologies behind Haven Greens,” says Jay Willmot, founder and CEO, Haven Greens. “This investment will help us further strengthen local food resilience and bring more fresh, sustainably grown produce to Canadians year-round, while continuing to push what's possible for controlled-environment agriculture domestically."

The Kinghaven project aligns with the strategic investment priority of expanding domestic capacity by increasing Canadian CEA production and overall food production. In 2025, Canada produced approximately 112,450 metric tonnes of lettuce, with 24,607 metric tonnes (22%) originating from CEA systems. Since 2021, CEA lettuce production has grown by 22 per cent, while lettuce imports have declined, indicating that domestic production is capturing a larger share of the Canadian market and strengthening Canada's domestic food supply capacity.

Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada September 17, 2026 news release