Three months ago, the uncertainty of Donald Trump’s U.S. tariffs was a source of frustration for B.C. farmer Bahram Rashti.
But now, things are looking… UP.
Rashti is the CEO and co-founder of UP Vertical Farms, based in Pitt Meadows.
“We feel overwhelmed with the support from everybody, so that’s a great feeling to have,” he told Global News.
In early February, Rashti told Global News it has been a challenge to get their products onto B.C. shelves, even though they are a B.C.-based company.
But since then, Rashti said, consumers have used their purchasing power to help bring his products into stores in a bid to ‘Buy Local.’
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“By reaching out to all the retailers saying, ‘We want to have more local options’, that made a huge difference and shifted the actual market dynamics,” he said.
“We’re getting way more demand that we can actually supply to certain businesses as well.”
Rashti said that before the trade war, fewer than 10 grocery brands carried their products but now 22 retailers sell their greens.
Ewin Surendranth is the produce manager at Famous Foods in Vancouver and said UP Vertical is in high demand.
“They’re glad that we’re carrying local, local salads right now, because it gives, gives them an option,” he said of their customers.
“It’s not organic, but at least it’s local, and I think a lot of people are going for that.”
The majority of produce at Famous Foods is organic, but despite this, it added UP! Vertical to its shelves because it wanted to support more B.C.-based businesses.
Rashti said that, as anticipated, its U.S. partners have paused all exports but he hopes the momentum keeps going at home.
“If we didn’t have the support here and by B.C. residents and retailers, we would have been in trouble,” he said.
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