Montreal: the “largest rooftop greenhouse in the world”
Lufa Farms, a local company, has just set up an organic greenhouse that is unrivaled in the world.
The largest rooftop greenhouse in the world
Mohamed Hage and his wife Lauren Rathmell founded Lufa Farms in 2009 with the ambition to “reinvent the food system”. In 2011, they built the world’s first rooftop greenhouse in Montreal’s central market. 9 years later, they moved to the Saint-Laurent neighborhood to build the largest one in the world. It covers 163,800 square feet, the equivalent of three soccer fields.
These greenhouses grow salads, watermelon celery, peaches, purple beans, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, eggplants, and even winter squash. In short, more than a hundred plants grow under the Montreal sky.
A whole way of life
The important thing for the company is to grow food sustainably and where people live. 20,000 baskets are sold per week, at a basic price of $30. They now offer a delivery service seven days a week. On the first floor of the greenhouse, the “lufavores” benefit from 2,000 products in a distribution center for individuals and restaurants alike.
Both the cultivation and the building are environmentally friendly. Vegetables are grown hydroponically, i.e. in tubs, on a coconut fiber substrate, irrigated with a nutritious liquid. Bumblebees pollinate the plants, while other insects attack the aphids, avoiding the use of pesticides. The roof-mounted system also recovers energy from the bottom of the building, reducing heating costs. The new greenhouse also has a closed-circuit water system, saving up to 90% of consumption, especially since rainwater is also collected.
Global Ambitions
The roof in Saint-Laurent is Lufa’s fourth. Their total harvesting capacity is now 301,400 square feet.
“We are now feeding almost 2% of Montreal with our greenhouses and partner farms,” says the company spokesperson.
Lufa now employs 500 people and hopes to grow even more.
“Our ambition is to be in every city in the world. Our ambition is to be in every city in the world,” warns Mohamed Hage.
But Lufa is no longer the only one to develop rooftop greenhouses. Since 2011, these aerial gardens have been growing in New York, Chicago, and Denver thanks to Gotham Greens. In France, Nature Urbaine is planning a greenhouse in Paris by 2022. Mohamed Hage is already looking beyond the world’s largest greenhouse to enable more and more citizens to consume organically and locally.
“The next one will be even bigger” (Mohamed Hage)
Watch the Global Goodness video: Food on the roof
Sources: Lufa farms, Narcity, La Presse
Photo credits: Lufa farms/Creative Commons
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