Looking back on 15 years of rooftop farming.

Fifteen years ago, we set out to change the way cities eat…starting from the rooftops.

Our story began with our founder Mohamed Hage’s vision of a city topped with rooftop farms and a mission to change the way cities eat by growing food where people live. With no background in agriculture, he saw greenhouses as the way forward - turning unused urban spaces into thriving farms, reducing waste, cutting down on transport, and reconnecting folks with fresh, local, responsible produce. What started as a bold idea quickly became part of the solution towards building a better food system…but not without its roadblocks.

Before we could grow anything, we needed a roof. We spent hours scouring Google Earth for flat surfaces, knocking on doors, and pitching an idea no one had ever heard of before - it’s no surprise most landlords weren’t convinced. One in particular turned us down, but later that evening told his wife and kids about our pitch, and they persuaded him to give our crazy idea a shot. The next day, he called us back - marking our first ever yes (!) and setting into motion our journey towards the Lufa Farms you know today.  

We built the world’s first commercial rooftop greenhouse. Officially kicking things off in 2010 with our Ahuntsic rooftop, we set out to prove that fresh food could be grown in urban spaces. With no blueprint to follow, we built our team, tackled every road block head-on, and learned as we grew - literally. At first, we went all in, packing 32,000 square feet with every veg under the sun. From tomatoes and cukes to zukes, lettuce, herbs, and other greens, the greenhouse was bursting at the seams with veggies…and challenges. Some crops took too long, some weren’t worth the space, and others just didn’t get along. Tomatoes and cukes, for example, are fussy roommates - one thrives in warm nights, the other in cooler temps. Having to share the same space, one had to suffer for the other to flourish. It didn’t take long to realize that if we wanted to grow smarter, something had to change.

With every new build, we’ve refined the way we grow. Instead of juggling a dozen different environments under one roof, we specialized - focusing on fewer crops with similar needs while expanding to larger, more efficient sites. Today, with five greenhouses and one indoor farm under our belt, we’re growing better than ever. Our early greenhouses are still handling smaller harvests the old-school way, with a fully hands-on approach, while our newer (and much larger) sites use Ultra-Clima technology and built-in sensors to automate the process - keeping our thumbs green while saving over 20 hours of manual work each week. With more room and better control, we can now harvest more, waste less, and keep prices down.

When it comes to new rooftops, we now get to take our pick. Each greenhouse we build pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in urban ag. Included in the plans of a new commercial building, our latest and greatest in Marché Central has become our model for any future expansion, with the goal of continuously improving. Because our greenhouses take two years to plan and build, we have to get the ball rolling before we even need a new one - betting on ourselves, trusting that the demand will follow, and never losing sight of why we started. We keep growing, not just in size but in impact, knowing that our community of Lufavores, partners, and team members will continue to grow with us.

Fifteen years ago, we took a chance on an idea that had never been done before. Today, rooftop greenhouses are changing the way cities grow food. And we’re just getting started.