Growing & farm consulting · Surrey, BC

Expert help for your farm,
greenhouse or home growing project.

Choose a growing approach, work through crop or operating problems, and get practical help putting a plan into use.

Sustainabite supports existing farms, new growing businesses, landholders, community projects and home growers. From planning and crop care to equipment sourcing, startup and training, the work starts with what you need to accomplish.

Whether you are considering a site or working with a system already in place, we help you compare options and organize the next steps around your space, resources and everyday reality.

In-person support across Greater Vancouver through Chilliwack. Projects across Canada. Remote consulting worldwide.

Built, grown and supplied by us

Advice grounded in the work of running a farm.

We built and operate our own farm in Surrey and supply produce to retail customers. Our work runs from planning and setting up the growing operation to crop care, harvest, packaging and delivery.

That experience keeps the whole operation in view. An equipment choice becomes a daily task. A crop plan needs people, routines and a route to the customer. In consulting, we bring those connections to your project and help turn the decisions into practical work.

Explore our operating farm
Gloved hands arranging packs of fresh basil at Sustainabite’s Surrey farm.
Preparing basil for retail at our operating farm in Surrey.

Practical experience. Complementary expertise.

A team that connects the growing system with the business behind it.

Our team brings master’s qualifications in Agricultural Engineering and Environmental Engineering, and a PhD in Agricultural Economics.

Agricultural Engineering
Growing-system choices, equipment requirements and the way people work.
Environmental Engineering
Water, growing conditions and how resources are used.
Agricultural Economics
Costs, production choices and the commercial decisions behind an operation.

Start with your situation

Different projects.
Practical ways forward.

You may need to resolve one recurring problem, decide whether to invest in a setup, or get a project ready for its first crop. The right starting point is the decision in front of you.

01

Existing growers

Improve the operation you already have.

When crop inconsistency, repeated handling errors or a daily bottleneck keeps returning, it can be hard to know what to change first. We can review the relevant setup, records and routines together, then help you prioritize practical improvements.

The work can extend beyond the review: sourcing equipment for an agreed change, supporting startup checks, improving instructions or training the people who will carry it out. If you are changing crops, channels or capacity, we can also help connect production decisions with costs, harvest and handling.

Explore help for your existing farm
02

New growing businesses

Make the early decisions count.

Before buying equipment or committing to a site, work through what you want to grow, who might buy it and what production will demand. We can help compare growing approaches, plan a manageable first setup, understand costs and define what a pilot needs to prove.

When you are ready to proceed, the scope can include equipment sourcing and procurement, installation and commissioning support, hands-on startup and operator training. Whether you are starting a small home-based enterprise or a larger operation, the aim is to connect the business idea with the work required to run it.

Explore starting a growing project
03

Land & unused space

Explore what your space could support.

Have land, a building or an unused area and want to understand its growing possibilities? Start with the site itself: space, light, access, water, utilities and the kind of operation you want to support.

We can help compare practical options and identify the next checks before you commit. Once an approach is chosen, we can organize equipment requirements, a phased setup and startup support around it. A useful plan may begin with a smaller trial rather than a full build.

Explore your land or space
04

Community & installed systems

Help the people behind the project grow with confidence.

A growing project needs people and routines as well as equipment. Whether you are planning a shared growing space, preparing a learning project or already have a system installed, we can help with first-crop or restart work, practical training and operator handover.

Care instructions, clear roles and everyday records help the people responsible keep the work organized. Continuing support can be agreed around the team, the existing setup and the help needed as the project develops.

Explore community growing support
05

Home growers

Grow something that fits your home and routine.

You do not need a commercial farm to start growing. Begin with the balcony, garden or suitable indoor space you have. We can help you choose crops and a setup around your light, budget and available time, then help you get started and learn the care they need.

A focused conversation, setup guidance or practical coaching can give you a useful next step without turning a small project into a commercial-farm plan. If your goal is to sell what you grow, we can discuss it as a business project instead.

Explore home-growing help

From a useful answer to work on the ground

Help deciding.
Help doing.

Some projects begin with a question. Others need a plan, a purchase decision or someone to help put a setup into use. We shape the work around what needs to happen and how much support you need carrying it out.

Advice & assessment

Understand what to tackle next.

We can examine the relevant setup, records and goals, review a design or supplier proposal, and work through the choices with you. A focused call or written assessment can help clarify a problem, compare an option or set priorities before the next commitment.

Useful work might include: a design review, prioritized findings or a comparison of equipment requirements and operating implications.

Plans & produced work

Give the next steps a usable form.

When you need a path to follow, we can develop crop, operating or implementation plans, compare options and costs, or turn daily tasks into working instructions. The output should help the person making the decision and the people doing the work.

Useful work might include: a crop calendar, an implementation sequence, a cost comparison or practical SOPs for a recurring task.

Sourcing & practical startup

Put the plan into use.

Support can include equipment sourcing and procurement, installation and commissioning, hands-on startup and operator training. We connect what is selected or installed with the crop, the workflow and the people who will run the setup.

Useful work might include: sourcing against agreed requirements, setup and readiness checks, first-production preparation or an operator handover.

Training & continuing support

Build routines that people can use.

Training helps your team understand the tasks in front of them, not just the equipment. Where you need support beyond startup, we can agree work to review progress, work through operating questions or support the next change.

Useful work might include: practical coaching, staff instructions, review of growing records or support implementing an agreed improvement.

A focused question, a defined project or continuing work: choose the level of help that fits your next step.

Explore the technical service areas

The expertise behind the practical work.

Bring us the project as you see it. You do not need to diagnose which service category it belongs to. These service areas can be combined around the practical work your project needs.

Plan & build

Feasibility, layout, design review, growing systems, sourcing and startup.

Crop production

Crop plans, propagation, nutrients, irrigation, growing conditions and troubleshooting.

Farm operations

Monitoring, automation planning, SOPs, staff training and workflow.

Quality & market readiness

Harvest, packaging, shelf life, food-quality readiness and retail or wholesale setup.

Costs, efficiency & expansion

Resource use, farm costing, product pricing, upgrades and expansion.

Discuss the help you need

How we work together

Turn your growing idea⁠—or growing problem⁠—into a practical plan.

Tell us what you want to grow, the space you have and what you want to achieve. We’ll discuss the right support and agree a scope and quote for your project.

  1. Tell us about your project

  2. Agree the support and scope

  3. Move forward with a plan, practical help or both

Local knowledge. Flexible delivery.

Based in Surrey.
Working with growers near and far.

We provide in-person support across Greater Vancouver through Chilliwack, work with projects across Canada and offer remote consulting worldwide. Travel beyond our local service area can be arranged in the project quote.

Remote work can include discussions, reviews of plans and records, and support using photographs, video or observations from the person on site. Where the practical work or site conditions call for a visit, we plan that with you.

Before you enquire

A few useful answers.

Not sure which starting point fits? Tell us what you have in mind.

Do I need to buy a container farm?

No. Consulting starts with your project and can support an existing setup or help you compare growing approaches.

Is consulting only for basil?

No. We consider projects across crops and growing systems, with the work shaped around your crop, site and the help required.

Can you help if I already have equipment or a plan?

Yes. We can discuss a review, sourcing or setup needs, commissioning and startup, training or operating support around what is already in place.

How much does consulting cost?

Contact for a quote. A focused question, a defined project and continuing support involve different work. Scope, delivery format and location shape the quote.

Can I enquire before I have a complete plan?

Yes. Share your goal, location, current stage and the question you want help with. We can use that as the starting point for discussing a useful scope.

Your next growing decision

What would you like to grow or improve?

Tell us your goal, location and where you are in the process. You don’t need a complete plan to enquire.

Discuss Your Project

Paid consulting. Scope and fees agreed by quote.