The times are a-changin’.

Happy New Year!

About seven years ago, we built our first rooftop greenhouse (the world’s first commercial rooftop greenhouse, in fact). We grew our first vegetables that year and welcomed aboard the very first Lufavores.

When Mo and I got going, we had never grown a tomato or sold a tomato. We took an enormous risk and worked so hard with a team of incredible people to initiate our vision. We did this to establish a new food system. A local food system made up of rooftop greenhouses in the city, partner farms and food makers, pick-up points, and a community of locavores as dedicated to the future as us. A local food system founded on tenets of responsible agriculture and sustainability: repurposing lost spaces, using biological pest control, recirculating water, reducing energy, and harvesting to order for fresh-as-possible rooftop-grown veggies with minimal-as-possible waste.

Exactly one year ago, we harvested the first greens from our third and largest rooftop greenhouse in Anjou and then launched the site with the help of none other than the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau. Cue Baby Dani photo (that’s our daughter).

It was a good year.

We grew in many ways. Literally, by growing dozens of new varieties at our new greenhouse all year round, like radishes, celery, kale, and so. much. lettuce. Our team grew by about 30 people to fill out our greenhouse, warehouse, and purchasing teams. Our pick-up point network grew within and beyond Montreal (as far as Gatineau!), and our electric car home delivery fleet is keeping up the pace. All of which provided our Lufavores with ingredients for over three million fresh, local, responsible meals this year (some rough math, but that’s actually about right...woah.)

We live in an exciting era. Cars are becoming electric, food is becoming local, and humanity is realizing the need to build a sustainable future. And we’re now that much closer in our part. To proving responsible urban agriculture a viable way to feed cities, to establishing a local food system, and to furthering a sustainable future. The times are changing.

We say this every time, but this is just the beginning. We’re learning, erring, iterating, and innovating as we go. And no one has been more supportive than Lufavores through the years and through the growing pains. We owe you so much. Thank you.

Let’s keep on keeping on.

Lauren
Founding member

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Now for a look back in photos...

Back in 2010, Lauren (that’s me) farmed at McGill’s research greenhouses to learn the ropes and study the science before we built our first greenhouse later that year.

After a thoroughly thorough Google Maps search for our first building, we found our Ahuntsic site and built the world’s first commercial rooftop greenhouse there.

We delivered the first baskets to the first Lufavores in the spring of 2011...lots of eggplants in those days.

In the summer of 2013, we built our second rooftop greenhouse in Laval - a new building, a new greenhouse design, and more rooftop for tomatoes (and eggplants).

And then there were three. Our largest rooftop greenhouse and dedicated to every kind of greens, the Anjou site launched in early 2017.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau toured our new greenhouse back in March, even walking up and across the growing system to take a closer look.

Our purchasing team, also known as treasure-hunters, grew this year with new team members dedicated to each category of the Marketplace.

We’re working with more partner farms and food makers every year. This year, we got to visit Warner’s Farm, Carleton Mushroom, Ferme La Rose Des Vents, and Morille Québec among others.

We of course must attribute much of our success to Loki, the founders’ farm-dog extraordinaire.

Thank you thank you thank you, Lufavores.