NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA - VIDEO: Inside This Grey Shipping Container in St. Anthony is a hydroponic Bounty of Green Produce
June 30, 2025
The CBC’s Colleen Connors tours the unlikely growing site — a storage container sitting along the side of a road. Felicia Hillier, manager of SABRI Farms, explains how more sites like this could mean fresh produce grown right here
This lettuce is grown indoors and is sold in grocery stores in St. Anthony
Grocery shoppers in St. Anthony can now purchase fresh, locally-grown, spinach, kale and lettuce on their supermarket shelves, all year round.
Sabri Farms grows its produce inside a 40-foot shipping container, also called their hydroponics facility.
Sabri Farms manager Felicia Hillier said they produce fresh products that can be packaged and sent to the grocery store — even in the coldest temperatures.
"Like it is the dead of winter and we have to use a heat gun to get our door open and we are going out with this fresh products to the stores. It was amazing," said Hillier.
SABRI farms manager Felicia Hillier has been part of the hydroponics farm project since day one. (Colleen Connors/CBC - image credit)
Sabri Farms started their hydroponics farm project six months ago, with the goal of creating affordable and year-round access to leafy greens in St. Anthony. The project is supported by funding from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and other job creation partnerships.
Hillier has been part of the project since day one.
"Before we started our farm here, the lettuce quality was not great. And prices went really high there a few years ago," said Hillier.
Hillier said the community was excited to see their lettuce on the store shelf.
"It's a local product, people support local. And it's so fresh. It lasts weeks in the fridge," said Hillier.
Customers happy with fresh picks
St. Anthony shopper Paul Dunphy said he and his wife enjoy Sabri Farm's french romaine lettuce and spinach every day.
And he says he would've never imagined being able to buy fresh greens in St. Anthony every week.
"The flavour is excellent. it's crisp its fresh," said Dunphy. "It's just beyond my imagination."
Shopper Jillian Mullet also said she happy to see that the prices are on-par with the other options.
"It's hard to believe something that fresh could come from somewhere like St. Anthony. It's cold weather here most of the time," said Mullet.
"It's super awesome to see something local on our shelves."