Lufa Farms, a urban agriculture pioneer, has finished a third highly automated greenhouse in the Montreal borough of Anjou. The new 63,000 square foot rooftop greenhouse is a milestone in polyculture efficiency and produces over 40 varieties of urban-grown greens and vegetables throughout the year.
The green house was backed with financial support of Fonds de solidarité FTQ and La Financière agricole du Québec. Fonds de solidarité FTQ invested $3 million in debt financing, while La Financière agricole du Québec contributed an additional $500,000.
“Supporting innovative companies like Lufa Farms is at the heart of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ’s strategic planning. The reinstatement of the federal tax credit by the Trudeau government made such investments possible,” said Gaétan Morin, President & CEO of Fonds de solidarité FTQ.
The new greenhouse was designed by Dutch greenhouse innovators at KUBO, outfitted by Belgian greenhouse automation experts, Hortiplan, and includes advanced horticultural lighting systems from GE.
“Being able to finance this project in Quebec has been an important milestone for us,” said Mohamed Hage, co-dounder and CEO of Lufa Farms. “It’s testimony that commercial-scale urban farming is truly economically viable. It also illustrates that a sustainable economy is possible. Urban growing centres like Lufa Farms will employ local workers and, together with local farmers, will provide fresh, responsible, and locally produced food to thousands of urban residents every day. That’s a desirable model for every city in the world.”
Founded in 2009 by Mohamed Hage, Lauren Rathmell, Kurt Lynn, and Yahya Badran, Lufa Farms now has a combined urban growing space of 138,000 square feet. The company plans to continue the expansion of its urban farm projects in Quebec urban centres, and also in select New England locations in the U.S.
photo credit: Lufa Farms