Growing berries in the snow: latest innovations from Canada and the Homegrown Innovation Challenge
The Homegrown Innovation Challenge is about more than just growing berries: it’s about the future of food (production) in Canada. We are committing $33 million to bold, game-changing ideas that will extend Canada's berry growing season reliably, sustainably, and competitively. We believe that growers and tech innovators have to work together to shape the future of food production.
Come hear from the winners of the latest funding round in the Homegrown Innovation Challenge about their approaches and technologies for cold-weather CEA and extending the growing season.
Speakers
Henry Gordon-Smith is the Founder and CEO of Agritecture, a global consulting firm specializing in climate-smart agriculture and urban farming. Since founding Agritecture in 2014, Henry has led over 300 projects in 50+ countries, helping developers, entrepreneurs, and governments design resilient, profitable agricultural systems. His expertise spans controlled environment agriculture (CEA), regenerative farming, ag-tech integration, and food systems strategy.
A recognized thought leader, Henry frequently speaks at global events, including the UN Food Systems Summit and World Green Economy Summit. He also teaches at Columbia University on climate-smart agriculture and consults on food policy and sustainable land use planning. His work has been featured in The New York Times, AgFunder, and more.
Henry holds a Master’s in Sustainability Management from Columbia University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia. A digital nomad and global citizen, he brings a multicultural, forward-thinking lens to agriculture.
Through Agritecture, Henry is building the world’s most accessible and data-driven platform for farm planning, with a vision to help global agriculture adapt to climate change. His mission is to make agriculture more resilient, transparent, and equitable through smart design, innovative policy, and responsible technology.