How a Langley startup is growing mushrooms with 95% less water

If you still picture farming as rows of fields and dirt under the sun, it may be time to rethink it. In Langley, B.C., Easy Harvest Box is changing the way we think about agriculture by growing mushrooms inside a retrofitted 40-foot container. Their climate-controlled system uses far fewer resources than traditional farming and directly responds to the supply chain challenges exposed during COVID. “The growing demand for a basic local produce ever since COVID has been huge,” says Tina Jamali, Director of Client Relations. “There’s been lots of supply issues, supply chain issues, and with the way we basically do it—because it’s local—these containers can be placed anywhere. We can address that problem in itself.”

Sustainability is central to the Easy Harvest Box model. “We use 95% less water. We can grow mushrooms year-round with no pesticides, no more water,” she adds.

Partners in farming (and in life)

Easy Harvest Box was created through the collaboration of three companies with different but complementary expertise. BC Sunrise Agriculture Corp., led by Amir Vakili, has over 20 years of experience in global agriculture and fertilizers. Octopus Impact Investment Group Inc., directed by Behzad Aghababazadeh, has more than 15 years of experience managing sustainability projects in 15 countries, focusing on entrepreneurship and business strategy. JJ Pursuits Holdings Ltd., led by Jobin Jamali, contributes over 15 years of experience in technology and entrepreneurship from a base in British Columbia.

Most business partners meet at networking events. Behzad and Jobin met in kindergarten. That long history now stretches from the sandbox to the shipping container. Their wives are also actively involved. Shaden, an internationally trained dentist with a passion for health and wellness, and Tina Jamali, an engineer who loves technology and innovation and is now the Director of Client Relations, both play key roles in shaping the company’s vision.

For Tina, the venture grew directly out of this mix of expertise and the clear problems the group saw in Canada’s food supply. “We’re a group of investors basically. We’re all very closely knit. We all come from very different backgrounds. We have a medical background, we have engineering backgrounds, sales, tech, agriculture. And basically with our backgrounds, we decided to solve essentially a problem that we saw in the Canadian produce market.”

The company was founded in late 2024. By April 2025, it received its first 40-foot container. A trial harvest took place in May, and full commercial harvests began in June. Today, two containers are operating in Langley, one for growing mushrooms and one for storing spawn. They produce shiitake and oyster mushrooms and are testing new varieties like golden oyster, lion’s mane, king oyster, and maitake.

Technology follows every step. Easy Harvest Box is creating an AI system that uses environmental sensors and computer vision to monitor crop health. It can track CO₂ spikes, changes in humidity, and even subtle color changes in mushroom caps to detect mold before it is visible to the human eye. In the future, it will predict the exact time to harvest each mushroom. This will ensure consistent quality and create digital harvest logs for full traceability. “Our AI is in the design and testing stage,” Tina says. “Core features like environmental monitoring are active, while advanced modules like per-mushroom harvest timing are under development for phased rollout.”

Beyond fresh produce

Beyond mushrooms, Easy Harvest Box is developing a line of mushroom-based supplements. This is currently in research and development, with discussions happening for distribution partnerships. Another growth opportunity is its farm-as-a-service model. This model lets restaurants, supermarkets, or investors buy a container farm while Easy Harvest Box manages it from start to finish. “One idea that we have is a farm as a service model that we can have investors who are interested to have their own containers. So we operate for them from zero to 100. We distribute for them; we grow for them everything. But that can be their farm. They can benefit from the financials as well. And this can be anywhere,” Tina explains.

Sustainability is a key part of the venture. The containers are insulated to R15, use LED lighting to reduce energy consumption by up to 60 percent, and recycle water in closed-loop systems that save up to 90 percent compared to soil farming. Spent substrate is repurposed as compost or soil amendment. Packaging is recyclable, and there are compostable options currently being tested.

“Water consumption reduction up to 95%, which is  amazing for countries who have an issue with the water already and the future,” Behzad notes.

The company aims to achieve organic certification by Q1 2026. This will be followed by HACCP certification and eventually B Corp certification, reflecting its goals around food safety and social impact. It also plans to explore partnerships with Indigenous communities. Container farming could help improve local food security in remote or northern areas. “By creating models for dedicated containers, training programs, and revenue-sharing, we can support food sovereignty while respecting land rights and sovereignty,” Behzad says.

Think local, grow global

The company isn’t just producing fresh oyster, shiitake and lion’s mane mushrooms for restaurants and retailers. They’re also developing value-added products for the wellness market.

“One of the products that we’re working on now is supplements,” Behzad explains. “This is why we started with gourmet mushroom, because there are, like, many good supplements, healthy supplements that people are looking for now. And honestly, when you look at it, the majority are importing from the U.S. So this is why we’re thinking, so if we have the produce here, why should we rely on U.S. still?”

Looking ahead, Easy Harvest Box aims to generate between $250,000 and $400,000 in revenue during its first year. The goal is to exceed $1 million by the third year through eight to ten containers, premium mushroom varieties, supplements, and farm-as-a-service agreements.

Building community

Easy Harvest Box also shows up at farmers’ markets and pop-ups, which Tina sees as a way to connect rather than just sell. “That’s more how we want to be engaged with the community, educate them, getting feedback from them,” she says.

If you think mushrooms spark foodie questions, think again. Sometimes, they spark disappointment, at least for 20-year-olds hoping for a different kind of “trip.” “Especially in Canada, people think it’s psychedelics. And it’s not, it’s just gourmet mushrooms,” Tina laughs. “Lots of disappointed 20-year-olds coming up to our staff. But because they’re so beautiful, they end up staying anyways, and we actually get into a conversation.”

From friendships formed in kindergarten to AI-driven harvests, Easy Harvest Box shows how farming in British Columbia is changing. “We are trying to create a system that is scalable, sustainable, and profitable at the same time,” Behzad says.

As the company continues to grow, the team sees itself as both problem-solver and disruptor. “One thing I keep realizing is that this is such an outdated industry,” Behzad reflects. “And any kind of innovation or any kind of newness you can bring to it I feel like is very well received.”

In other words: a shipping container in Langley may hold not just mushrooms, but a glimpse of farming’s future.