5,000 baskets with rooftop produce shipped weekly

Building greenhouses on top of commercial buildings in urban areas is something that we are seeing more often. But managing to run these urban farms as commercial and profitable companies is something that not everyone is capable of doing. It is not a secret that there are rooftop farmers leaving as fast as they entered the scene, mostly due to problems with marketing their produce and managing the operations. But if there is one rooftop farm that is thriving in this relatively new industry it is Quebec based Lufa Farms.

Lufa Farms was founded as a Startup in 2009 by serial entrepreneur Mohamed Hage. It was his concept to grow fresh produce local and more sustainable and to market it directly to customers via the basket subscriptions and an online marketplace. He founded a team consisting of Lauren Rathmell to manage growing and plant science, Kurt Lynn to lend decades of marketing experience to the project, and Yahya Badran to supervise construction and engineering. The group started to search for a rooftop to grow vegetables in downtown Ahuntsic. After finding a suitable location, the construction of their first 31,000 square feet rooftop greenhouse began in 2010, and in February 2011 they harvested their first fruit at this location. Halfway 2013, Lufa Farms integrated a second 43,000 square feet carbon neutral and positive pressure Ultra-Clima greenhouse from KUBO on a rooftop in Laval.

The rooftop greenhouse of Lufa Farms in Ahuntsic.
Click here for the complete Photo Report that we made at Lufa Farms.

Lufa Farms is said to be the first commercial rooftop greenhouse in the world. From the outside, they might give you the impression that they are a rooftop greenhouse like the few other ones that have passed the revue over the last couple of years. But what differentiates them from their colleagues is their unique approach to marketing their produce; they solely rely on direct sales to consumers via their basket subscription program. "It is our philosophy to shorten the chain and make more healthy and sustainable food available directly to consumers", said Lufa's Greenhouse Operations Manager Leon Alsemgeest. "We only pick our fruits when our customers order them, shipping them the same day. In this way the consumer eats fresher, experiences more taste and is enjoying a more sustainable product."

A cropworker between the pepper crops'; they are grown on hydroponic substrates; a combination of rockwool starter cubes on coco peat slabs. If you look close at the picture you can see the sachets with beneficial insects that Lufa brings in the crops to fight pests on a natural, biological and sustainable way. Click here for the complete Photo Report that we made at Lufa Farms.

But this is easier said than done. How does this approach of Lufa Farms works in practice? Alsemgeest: "We grow and trial many greenhouse crops; we have all kinds of tomatoes available, from beefsteak and strawberry tomatoes to plums, heirlooms and cherries. We have peppers available; hot peppers, sweet peppers, habaneros. Cucumbers; minis and long English and a broad spectrum of leafy greens and fresh herbs. Our customers can subscribe to our basket programme; which means that they receive a basket with fresh, locally grown produce every week.

Customized orders

Subscribers of Lufa Farms' basket programme are able to customize their orders by removing any items that don't suit them and adding as many additional à la carte items as they like. "They can let us know the preferences until midnight, before we start picking and selecting their products at 5 AM the next day", said Alsemgeest. He explained that the harvest is only taking place according to the orders of the basket subscribers. "Our Director of Greenhouses makes a forecast of our crop production, and this is translated to the availability in our online Marketplace. Our harvesters receive an e-mail on what to pick inside the greenhouse, customer specific.

Lufa Farms' Greenhouse Director Lauren Rathmell together with ‎Greenhouse Operations Manager Leon Alsemgeest.
Click here for the complete Photo Report that we made at Lufa Farms.

Lufa partners with a number of other local farmers and companies to offer a complete range of groceries to their basket subscribers. "Inside our Marketplace, we combine the greenhouse produce with the rest of the groceries; subscribers can add products like fresh bread, chocolate, fish, meat, dairy and even shampoo. All coming from nearby, local companies in Quebec. These products are all brought into our distribution center underneath our Anhuntsic greenhouse, where we collect all the goods and prepare the baskets the same morning. At 11 AM the baskets are trucked to one of the 200 local pick up points. You can't get it any fresher."

5,000 baskets

Local consumers have responded with enthusiasm to Lufa Farms unique service. "We started 4 years ago with 300 baskets per week. Nowadays we are preparing 5,000 baskets per week", Alsemgeest said. He explains that it is the fresh and local aspect that matters. "Our customer base is very broad; families, foodies, young people and people that care about their health and that are aware of what they are eating. They want to know where there food is coming from and want to know how it is produced. That is why we invite them every now and then to tour our facilities and show them how we grow; without the use of synthetic pesticides and with the help of biological controls. As well as this we explain to them how hydroponics work and how sustainable everything is.

Want to work at Lufa Farms?

Lufa Farms are looking for a Greenhouse Operations Manager to ensure the smooth and efficient functioning of the greenhouse operations, through coordination with and management of Greenhouse Supervisors and perform all required maintenance for greenhouse equipment and systems. Click here for the Job Offer.