Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 29, 2015, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE B7 I N the startup world, you often hear people talk about a business " pivoting," which describes a radical change in direction that's usually necessary in order to survive. David Gingera, 23, founder of CitiGrow - a network of small urban gardens supplying produce to local restaurants - did not start out thinking he'd become a garden manager. The first iteration of CitiGrow was an online directory for owners of commercial property to advertise their space - including rooftops - to be used for urban agriculture. The concept won a business plan competition at the Asper School of Business in 2012 and was enough motivation for Gingera to quit school and launch the business. Early on, he had a meeting with the vice- president of a large national property management firm that did not go well. He bluntly told Gingera he was not interested. " But he said he had some development land in Winnipeg that was not being used," Gingera recalled. " I started to think, ' What if I switched from having a directory to being the operator of urban farms?' " In its second year of operation, CitiGrow has 38 urban gardens, up from 17 last year, throughout Winnipeg, which are operated by a crew of more than 30 part- time gardeners. The produce is being sold to a growing list of some to the most prestigious and progressive restaurants in the city. This year, CitiGrow is on target to produce about $ 260,000 worth of produce. From little lots such as one outside the Inn at the Forks to four- acre plots on the outskirts of the city, CitiGrow is selling everything from traditional herbs and root vegetables to heritage tomatoes and edible flower varieties such as nasturtium. Amazingly, dozens of different herbs and vegetables are being cultivated in a tiny plot beside the Inn at the Forks. Most of it is destined for the tables at Smith, the hotel's new restaurant and other hospitality enterprises of the hotel owners - which includes catering at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Ben Sparrow, owner of the hotel and the restaurant, said more customers want to know where their food comes from and increasingly in the luxury market, people are looking for an authentic experience. " The garden achieves a number of goals for us," Sparrow said. " Like having local food and that authentic luxury experience. It also allows as to market our brand right outside the hotel." Dave Pancoe, the director of special projects at The Forks said, " We couldn't ask for a better fit." He said The Forks would like to have fewer lawns to worry about and CitiGrow has a dedicated gardener for each of its plots so he's confident the plot is being looked after. " Another great thing is that we compost all of our organic yard waste," Pancoe said. " It's a perfect place to use the compost to amend the soil, the food is being consumed at Inn at the Forks... it closes the loop." Jessie Friesen the executive chef at 295 York, is enthusiastic about working with CitiGrow. Like many busy chefs - Friesen also manages the kitchen at Assiniboine Park's Pavilion Event Centre - he does not have time to manage his own garden. " That's exactly where David comes in," said Friesen, who is in discussions with Gingera about working out a schedule and the selection of produce he'll use. " What CitiGrow offers is the guarantee that I know where it is coming from, and it will be grown just for us. That's a selling point." Gingera, who's always tweaking the business model, admits he's still figuring things out. " We made some mistakes ( last year). But we've got a much better system already with more co- ordination between gardens and the buyers in terms of what is going to be delivered, how much and where," he said. As demanding as his customers are, he too, can be discriminating when it comes to who he sells produce to. " I wanted to start a business for profit, obviously, but there had to be a social element," he said. " There is a criteria that has to be met on both ends - our ability to service them, and their ability to fit in our story. We want to work with people committed to local food." At school, Gingera learned about food production, what's involved in getting produce from the farm to the table and sustainable practices. " That is the whole purpose of CitiGrow" he said. " I started it to address the whole issue of food security, and part of that job involves building awareness to the issue of food sustainability and making food as local as possible." Whether his model works long term remains to be seen. He is developing some form of greenhouse operation to deal with seasonal restrictions to his current business model. ( CitiGrow does not include any warehousing or storage of the produce - it's all exclusively garden to the kitchen at this point.) He does have a few gardens on the go in Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton but Gingera had hoped to already be up and running in a more substantial way in a couple of other cities, specifically Vancouver. But, not unlike many young entrepreneurs, he found management demands were more intense than he'd anticipated. He still hopes to figure out a way to overcome the liabilities and aversions building owners have to growing produce on urban rooftops. martin. cash@ freepress. mb. ca Manitoba Innovators THE digital age has forced a sea change in many traditional industries and shaken up the fundamental ways of doing business. It's reduced the barriers to entry for lots of entrepreneurs who, not so long ago, might have required more resources to get started. It means the process of starting a new business has become more of a possibility to more people. There is a thriving startup ecosystem in Winnipeg. Organizations such as Startup Winnipeg, Eureka Project, MTA and Innovate Manitoba are creating a vibrant community of wouldbe entrepreneurs willing to collaborate and share ideas. It makes it easier for them to test the waters, even ( perish the thought) to fail. On a semi- regular basis, the Free Press will feature some of these startups with a focus more on innovation than the likelihood of success. BUSINESS BUSINESS EDITOR: SHANE MINKIN 204- 697- 7308 I BUSINESS. DESK@ FREEPRESS. MB. CA I WINNIPEGFREEPRESS. COM WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015 B 7 Growing concern By Martin Cash Flexibility helps nurture urban gardens venture David Gingera - CitiGrow . Won the AirMiles 2015 Small Business Achievement Award for social responsibility. . Won first place in the University of Manitoba 2012 Wes Nicol Business Plan competition. . Won the 2014 Futurpreneur Action Entrepreneurship Video Challenge answering the question: what three things should be done within the next 24 months to make Canada an even better place for young entrepreneurs to start and grow a business? PHOTOS BY MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS David Gingera, founder of CitiGrow, has developed 38 urban gardens in Winnipeg this summer. Being open to new ideas has helped make his company a success. David Gingera ( left) and gardener Ami Bakerman, who is holding produce from one of the corporate gardens that supply Winnipeg eateries. B_ 07_ Jul- 29- 15_ FP_ 01. indd B7 7/ 28/ 15 9: 26: 33 PM ;