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Rooftop and indoor farming company Lufa Farms is expanding sales to Ottawa, a move aimed at offering residents of the nation's capital its sustainably grown produce and groceries.
Ottawans can order or pick-up vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and herbs grown in its five rooftop greenhouses and one indoor farm in Quebec. Also included are grocery products from Quebec, Ontario and the rest of Canada.
Ottawa is Lufa’s first market outside its home province of Quebec. As Montreal-based Lufa already delivers food in a three-hour radius around Montreal, it “just makes sense” to include Ottawa, Emily Peloquin, Lufa’s public relations and communications coordinator, told Sustainable Biz Canada in an interview.
“It’s the nation’s capital. It’s a great city where people are very focused on local food systems.”
It's also located about a two-hour drive from Montreal, and directly across the Ottawa River from the City of Gatineau, which Lufa Farms already services.
Lufa’s Ottawa market
Lufa customers can order groceries on its website and pick them up from a local business, or have the food delivered to their residence.
The company is planning to open pick-up points in local Ottawa businesses such as coffee shops, pharmacies and restaurants to build ties with local communities, and is aiming to be present at events such as food-related expos and shows to promote its offerings, Peloquin said.
The intent is to offer access to fresh vegetables year-round and a line-up of groceries that are almost all grown or made in Canada.
“It’s a one-stop shop to have really good quality local products . . . all from Canadian producers that share our values of sustainability,” Peloquin said. “It’s an easy way to shop local, to support the local economy.”
There are no plans currently to develop a farm in Ottawa, she said.
Its Quebec markets include Greater Montreal, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Tremblant as well as Gatineau.
How Lufa promotes sustainability
Lufa owns over 550,000 square feet of growing space, harvesting approximately 215,000 vegetables per week.
Its largest rooftop greenhouse measures 163,800 square feet, atop a former Sears distribution centre in Ville Saint-Laurent, in Greater Montreal. The building also hosts its 160,000-square-foot indoor farm.
Minimizing environmental impact is central to Lufa’s operations.
Rather than soil, its crops are grown in a coconut fibre or mix of peat moss substrate. Hydroponic systems reuse 90 per cent of the water in a closed-loop system and captures rain and melt water. Being a closed system eliminates runoff, a source of agricultural pollution.
Its rooftop greenhouses use half of the energy compared to one placed on the ground, Lufa says.
No synthetic pesticides are used on its farms. Lufa instead opts for natural pest control, using predatory insects such as praying mantises and wasps.
Having a source of vegetables near Ottawa will reduce the carbon emissions from transporting produce over long distances, Peloquin noted.
On average, half of Canada’s vegetables (other than potatoes) and 75 per cent of its fruit are imported, according to Kushank Bajaj, a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Resource, Environment and Sustainability at University of British Columbia.
Transporting such volumes of food long distances means a substantial amount of greenhouse gas emissions are produced. Bringing food supplies closer to home can address the problem.
Food waste is another issue Lufa can tackle, Peloquin said. Lufa harvests to order so a precise amount of food is delivered, which means less produce ends up being discarded. Food waste is a notable source of the powerful greenhouse gas methane, which is emitted as organics break down.
Having operated for 15 years, Lufa has proved “that buying local, supporting local producers is a completely viable food system,” Peloquin said.
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