Alberta Greenhouse Partners With Wendy's Restaurant Chain

Jul 17, 2020

A greenhouse in southern Alberta will be the main supplier of lettuce for Wendy's Restaurant chain in Canada.

Whole Leaf, located in Coaldale, will be supplying zero pesticide lettuce to all 384 locations.

The year-round greenhouse operation promotes "Clean Canadian Greens" growing over 20 million heads of lettuce a year.

Lisa Deletroz, Senior Director of Marketing for Wendy's Canada says they know that greenhouse farms grow produce that hits the mark for freshness and flavour.

"What's more, this transition will enable Wendy's to further support Canadian producers and the Canadian economy, while offering supply predictability and consistency."

Rindi Bristol, Senior Director of Sales for Whole Leaf says this strategic partnership allows us to reach Wendy's customers all-year-round with high-quality fresh produce alongside a brand that - like Inspired Leaves - is committed to quality and sustainability.

Whole Leaf's greenhouse operation includes technology that allows them to capture and reduce water consumption by over 90 per cent compared to field-grown lettuce.

It also features an onsite process that captures waste heat and CO2 at the same time, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and allowing it to be completely self-sufficient for electricity and heating.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.