519.997.2863   |   info@wetech-alliance.com   |   FRANÇAIS
Site logo
Sticky header logo
Site logo
  • Who We Are
    • Our Purpose
    • Our Team
      • WEtech Alliance Team
      • Venture Success Team
    • Our Board
    • Our Impact
    • Our Partners
  • What We Do
    • Tech Acceleration
      • ScaleUP
      • i.d.e.a. Fund
      • Innovation Outposts
      • SWO Black Entrepreneurship Network
      • Founders Night
      • Roadmap to MVP
      • MedHealth
    • Tech Talent
      • Women in Mobility
      • FIRST Robotics
      • Tech Connect
    • Tech Community
      • TeCK Week YQG
      • Tech Talks
      • Tech Awards
      • Founders Week
      • Tech Connect
      • Regional Alliance Windsor-Essex
      • Where Canada Begins
  • How We Help
    • Client Perks
    • Tech Jobs Board
    • Opportunity Alerts
    • Resources
      • Winnovation Map
      • Entrepreneur’s Toolkit Library
      • Employer Support Programs Matrix
      • Entrepreneur Support Network
      • WEsearch
  • Get Connected
    • Tech Connect
    • Tech & Innovation News
    • Tech Events
    • Tech Blog
    • Tech Podcasts
    • TECH IT OUT! Newsletter
    • Français
    • Contact Us
  • Tech Jobs
  • Become a Client
PrevNew Local Health & Safety App is Built for the Long-Term01 March 2021NextTech Homecoming: YQG Edition08 March 2021
  • Blog
  • Client News
  • Tech News

Local Vertical Farm Startup Joins Growing Global Market

March 2, 2021in Blog 0 Comments

What if there was a more sustainable way to provide fresh, truly local greens to our communities? And what if there was a way to do it while bringing diverse flavors to the table year-round?

It sounds like an ambitious goal. But it is one that Carina Biacchi and her partner, Alvaro Fernandes, are set to meet.

Ortaliza Urban Farms is a dream that has been sprouting for some time now.

Carina Biacchi is no stranger to business. With a bachelors and postgrads in business administration, she has worked in several different sectors, from NGOs to massive corporations. “I’ve mostly worked in sales and marketing” Carina states. “And I have entrepreneurship in my DNA. My parents were entrepreneurs long before I was born.”

And as formidable as Carina is, she is among good company. Alvaro Fernandes, her partner, is an Agronomist Engineer. “He’s a passionate specialist in controlled environment agriculture” Carina explains.

When the two met they quickly started dreaming about their own indoor farm. Years passed, and the two immigrated to Canada and started a family. But those entrepreneurial sparks continued to fly.

“It took us a while to build our lives in Canada,” Carina states. “But we continued to research the idea we had. We kept visiting other businesses in the industry and we even traveled to New York and other areas to see what they had to offer in terms of vertical farms.”

But what is vertical farming? Vertical farming is a growing worldwide phenomenon set to add significant value to the food system. Food security and sustainability continue to be some of the top concerns for city planners, and venture capital firms are investing big into vertical farm operations.

And what is an urban farm? Simply put, urban farming is growing food in urban areas. “We’re located right on Main Street,” Carina states. “In a commercial zoning area. That is pretty unique by itself, and the town of Kingsville has proven to be the perfect partner to help us launch our dream.”

A hyper-local farm-to-plate experience

And while Ortaliza is not the first micro green seller in the region, they are the first to create a storefront, creating an exciting farm-to-plate experience, loaded with flavor and freshness.

“We are truly local!” Carina stresses. “Sometimes, when you see that something is “local” on your grocery shelves, it’s actually from another part of the Province. That might be fine for large vegetables, but greens are special. Think of all the nutrients you would get from a full vegetable but concentrated to deliver all that deliciousness in every single bite. Microgreens require just picked freshness, so we are super, hyper-local. We’re only growing and selling here in our County.”

This business model, Carina explains, also allows them to reduce food mileage and consequently, food waste. “Leafy greens in Canada can sometimes travel thousands of miles before reaching their destination” Carina reports. “And it can take up to two weeks for the produce to get there. We have a commitment to sustainability, and we will always be local, no matter where we spread our roots to in the future.”

One of Ortaliza’s business Advisors, Adam Castle of WEtech Alliance says the launch of this business in Kingsville represents a unique opportunity for the Startup. “Here we are in the very heart of greenhouse agriculture, not just for Canada but seconded only to Holland from a global perspective,” says Castle. “So you’re planting yourself in a community that lives and breathes agriculture, who knows the value of being able to see where your food comes from and how it’s grown, at a time when the average consumer is more engaged than ever in providing the freshest, most sustainably grown food they can for themselves and their family. I applaud Kingsville for making room at their table for new kinds of agriculture, and being a business-friendly partner that our clients can count on.

“…it certainly fits hand-in-hand with the innovation and the diversification that we’re trying to identify with.”

One enthusiastic supporter of this innovative new business is Nelson Santos, the Mayor of Kingsville and the Deputy Warden of Essex.

“This isn’t your typical business, but it certainly fits in with the entrepreneurial spirit that we have in our community,” Nelson explains. “And it certainly fits hand-in-hand with the innovation and the diversification that we’re trying to identify with. They are touching on all the different aspects of what the community is looking for. Their business is one that is certainly going to turn quite a few heads. It’s very exciting, both in regards to the food aspect and the extension of agriculture.”

Ortaliza is now taking pre-orders for their home delivery service at www.Ortaliza.ca, which promises to deliver a lot more than leafy goodness.

“We want to be more than a farm-to-table service,” says Carina. “We want our customers to think of us as their weekly dose of living, natural vitamins that add easy nutrition to just about every recipe they can think of!”

To learn more and become a friend of the farm, head to www.ortaliza.ca or find them on social media at @OrtalizaFarms 

  • agritech
  • farming
  • kingsville
0 Likes

Related posts

Blog WEtech Alliance provides 19 companies with $567,700 through Cohort 1 of Government of Canada-funded i.d.e.a. Fund
August 3, 2022in Blog 0 Comments 2 Likes

WEtech Alliance provides 19 companies with $567,700 through Cohort 1 of Government of Canada-funded i.d.e.a. Fund

Opportunity Alerts i.d.e.a. Fund to support green innovators across southwestern Ontario
May 2, 2022in Opportunity Alerts 0 Comments 2 Likes

i.d.e.a. Fund to support green innovators across southwestern Ontario

Opportunity Alerts Industry Opportunity Forum
April 22, 2022in Opportunity Alerts 0 Comments 3 Likes

Industry Opportunity Forum

Client News The New Faces of Agritech
September 1, 2021in Client News 0 Comments 3 Likes

The New Faces of Agritech

Blog Local Tech Company Accepted into Canada’s Tech Network’s Soft Landing: Scale from Home program
April 6, 2021in Blog 0 Comments 0 Likes

Local Tech Company Accepted into Canada’s Tech Network’s Soft Landing: Scale from Home program

Client News New First-Of-Its-Kind Vertical Farm Store launches in the Heart of Canada’s Greenhouse Agriculture Sector
March 19, 2021in Client News 0 Comments 3 Likes

New First-Of-Its-Kind Vertical Farm Store launches in the Heart of Canada’s Greenhouse Agriculture Sector

Blog New MacDonald Had a Farm, A.I., A.I., Drone
January 27, 2020in Blog 0 Comments 0 Likes

New MacDonald Had a Farm, A.I., A.I., Drone

Blog What’s Bugging the Agritech Industry? Local Tech to the Rescue!
December 11, 2019in Blog 0 Comments 0 Likes

What’s Bugging the Agritech Industry? Local Tech to the Rescue!

Blog A Fresh Look: Agritech
September 8, 2017in Blog 0 Comments 0 Likes

A Fresh Look: Agritech

Leave a Reply

Click here to cancel reply.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Categories

  • Blog
  • CleanTech Blog
  • Client News
  • Ivy's League Blog
  • Opportunity Alerts
  • Our Impact
  • Siri Blog
  • StartUP Blog
  • Tech News

Recent Posts

WEtech Alliance Partners with SnapPea to Offer New Supports for Entrepreneurs
WEtech Alliance Partners with SnapPea to Offer New Supports for Entrepreneurs
Getting A Startup Off The Ground With Low-Code / No-Code Tools
Getting A Startup Off The Ground With Low-Code / No-Code Tools
10+ Ways to Celebrate International Women’s Day 2023
10+ Ways to Celebrate International Women’s Day 2023
Roadmap to Success: Roadmap to MVP Program Helps Women Entrepreneurs Demystify Tech
Roadmap to Success: Roadmap to MVP Program Helps Women Entrepreneurs Demystify Tech
Sixteen enthusiastic new members join the Prime Minister’s Youth Council
Sixteen enthusiastic new members join the Prime Minister’s Youth Council

Connect with Us

TECH IT OUT! Monthly Newsletter

Get the latest Tech News, Events, Talent & Tech Jobs in Windsor-Essex & Chatham-Kent delivered directly to your inbox each month.

SIGN UP

Wetech Alliance Logo

Navigation

  • Home
  • Who We Are
  • What We Do
  • Tech & Innovation News
  • Events
  • Contact

Location

Footer Map
Click here for a detailed map.

Contact

Joyce Entrepreneurship Centre
2455 Wyandotte Street West
Located inside EPICentre, 2nd Floor
Windsor, ON N9B 0C1

Office: 519.997.2863

Connect with us:

ALL IMAGES, DESIGNS AND CONTENT COPYRIGHT © 2023, WETECH ALLIANCE.