Given Quebec's many months of tough winter, the Canadian province has had to address local sourcing of fresh fruits and vegetables differently. In a truly innovative, and environmentally friendly style, hydroponic rooftop gardens were planted in 2010 in Montreal.
Lufa Farms, as the gardens are called, are scattered all over the city and focus on different fruits and vegetables. The one I visited in the Ahuntsic neighborhood focuses on eggplants, herbs and greens. According to Emily Péloquin, the director of public relations, for this 31,000-square-foot garden, "produces around 2,500 pounds of vegetables per week, totaling about 130,000 pounds annually, including eggplants, herbs and microgreens."
The garden is by far the most ambitious example of hydroponic growing I have seen anywhere to date. Péloquin added that several similar initiatives in the U.S. include Gotham Greens, Little Leaf Farms and Natoora. However, Lufa is unique for a number of reasons.
One of the most important ideas behind Lufa was making healthy, local produce available to all residents of Montreal regardless of their financial status. The vegetables are available to people on food stamps and other social services. "We currently feed roughly two percent of Montreal," says Péloquin, of a city of almost two million. And the company grows products based on actual consumer demand.
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