By Shauna Dobbie – January 2025. There’s a small hydroponics business in Winnipeg that is making a big impact, turning the dream of fresh, sustainable produce into reality for schools, seniors’ residences and homes. Les Verts Living, co-founded by Rachel Green, her father Kerry and former colleague Jennifer Bailes, offers innovative indoor gardening systems designed to empower anyone to grow their own fresh, gourmet leafy greens at any time of the year.
The name Les Verts (French for “the greens”) reflects the company’s focus on fresh, vibrant produce and their commitment to sustainable living. Rachel and Kerry worked at a plant nutrition company when they became deeply enthralled by food science and horticulture. The company was sold and moved but they continued their research, setting up a lab of their own along with Jennifer Bailes. Their experiments in indoor growing led to some success. Friends, family, and neighbours eagerly snapped up their fresh greens, with some driving over 30 minutes to pick up their weekly supply. Positive feedback poured in, with customers marvelling at both the flavour and beauty of the produce.
Encouraged by this enthusiasm, the team at Les Verts spent six years perfecting their systems, refining lighting, nutrient blends, and seed varieties to optimise growth, taste, and nutrition. In 2022, they launched Les Verts Terrace Pro, a growing system about the size of a double-wide gourmet fridge and able to grow up to 80 plants at once. Shortly after, they launched Les Verts Terrace, a smaller unit about the size of a regular fridge and suitable for a family.
The hydroponic units are about more than the food they grow, they’re about creating experiences. Seniors’ residences use them to promote wellness and provide hands-on activities, and schools integrate the systems into science and sustainability education. Now, with their home-friendly size, Les Verts is bringing these benefits to kitchens and living rooms across Canada.
“We want to decentralise food production,” says Rachel. “Our systems make it easy for anyone to grow fresh produce, whether it’s for their family or their community.”
With a legacy of agricultural research and a team of indoor farming experts, Les Verts Living combines science and passion to address challenges like food security and climate adaptation. Their systems save water, eliminate pesticides, and reduce transportation emissions, offering a sustainable alternative to store-bought greens.
Rachel and her team believe in the power of small, local actions to make a global impact. “Growing your own food is a simple but powerful way to connect with nature and your community,” she says.
