Business is booming at this indoor farm, but a labour shortage is forcing the owners to sell
A high-tech vertical farm in New Brunswick is being put up for sale due to a severe labor shortage, despite strong market demand. The owners, who spent seven years building the business, are struggling with the physical toll of working 70-80 hour weeks.
Why it matters
This story illustrates the broader economic challenges facing small-scale agricultural innovation and the impact of labor market tightness on local food production.
They were driven by a vision to revolutionize agriculture on the Acadian Peninsula.
Inspired by the hydroponic displays at Disney World, the couple bought and transformed a former elementary school building in Saint-Léolin into a high-tech indoor vertical farm, promising to bring sustainable, year-round agriculture to northeastern New Brunswick.
Seven years later, the business is up for sale.
The threat to Enogrow’s future is not a lack of market demand, the couple say, but a lack of labour.
“If you never saw the Groundhog Day movie, this is our week,” Ratté said. “We don't have Sunday, we don't have Saturday, we don't have Friday. We have only Mondays."
Big dreams, microgreens: Why this indoor vertical farm is up for sale
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