A Closer Look at Van Isle Vertical Farms
Rethinking CSA with Tower Gardens
Sustainablity

A little while back, I mentioned an intriguing project here on Vancouver Island—Van Isle Vertical Farms. Since then, I’ve had a chance to take a closer look at what they’re doing, and I think it’s a model worth sharing.

At its core, their concept blends the best of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) with the innovations of indoor vertical farming. The result? A highly efficient local food system that could inspire new approaches to CSA across the region.

Growing Up, Not Out

Rather than traditional farm fields, VanIsle Vertical Farms uses a system of 60 Tower Gardens—aeroponic growing towers that enable plants to thrive with minimal soil and water. This setup yields an impressive 4,400 plants per month, with approximately 1,100 living vegetables ready for the community each week.

Because the towers operate in a greenhouse, the farm can grow consistent, nutrient-dense produce year-round, immune to the Island’s sometimes unpredictable weather.

CSA with a Modern Twist

VanIsle Vertical Farms is building its CSA model around these efficiencies. Members will be able to subscribe and receive weekly boxes of freshly harvested greens, herbs, and vegetables. Options for pickup or local delivery will make it easy for Island residents to participate.

This is CSA with a low carbon footprint and a short supply chain—everything grown and distributed locally, with a fraction of the resource use of conventional agriculture.

Spotlight on Local Innovation:
VanIsle Vertical Farms
➡️ 60 Tower Gardens in operation
➡️ 4,400 plants grown monthly
➡️ 1,100 living vegetables available weekly
➡️ Year-round CSA subscriptions coming soon

“Supporting local food systems has never looked so green. ”

Why It Matters

For me, this project hits on several key aspects of sustainability:

• It strengthens local food security
• It dramatically reduces water and land use
• It supports community-based farming over big corporate supply chains
• It provides education and inspiration for others who might want to explore vertical growing

Importantly, VanIsle Vertical Farms isn’t trying to “industrialize” vertical farming. Their focus is local-first: feeding neighbours, building community partnerships, and encouraging others to adopt vertical growing, even on a small scale at home.

Final Thoughts

As someone passionate about sustainable living here on Vancouver Island, I’m excited to see this kind of innovation happening locally. The combination of modern techniques and the community ethic of CSA is a natural fit.

I’ll be following VanIsle Vertical Farms’ journey with interest—and I encourage others in the region to support this innovative approach to local food. When their CSA subscriptions become available, I suspect spots will fill up quickly.

Tags: #Sustainability #LocalFood #CSA #VerticalFarming #VancouverIsland #FoodSecurity #TowerGardens #EatLocal #CommunityFarming