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Eating Locally | Why You Should Get Your Veggies At Lufa Farms

Rooftop gardens at Lufa Farms

Many of us are taking note of the growing strain on our natural resources and trying to change our habits for the better.After all, it doesn’t take much to make a big difference. Certainly, countering food scarcity, leaving less of a carbonfootprint and stimulating the local economy seems like a hefty task list for an ordinary citizen, but the simple (and fun) actof buying and eating local fruits and vegetables can indeed help achieve all that. One promising and increasingly popularMontreal-based company trying to promote local food and urban agriculture is Lufa Farms.

We caught up with long-time Lufa employee Olivier Labrie, who also happens to be the founder of Quinoa for ChangeMontreal. He was kind enough to take a few minutes from his busy schedule to help us sort through what Lufa does, andwhy we should get our veggies locally. Read on to find out more about eating locally and how places like Lufa helppromote healthier lifestyles!

Olivier Labrie, a greenhouse aide for Lufa Farms

What does Lufa Farms do?

Olivier explains: “Lufa Farms has found its niche in the ever-growing urban agriculture scene of Montreal, with its twocommercial-sized rooftop greenhouses. (One in Ahuntsic, and the other in Laval) In them, you can find a wide variety ofhydroponically-grown vegetables. Most notably, they have their large selection of tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers,peppers, micro-greens and lettuces, while always trying new cultivars to be leaders within the rooftop agriculture craze.Baskets can be personalized through their online grocery store, which offers goods from a multitude of local businessesand local farms, most of which are organic. The best part is that there is a basket pick-up-point near you!”

Rows of tomatoes at Lufa Farms

What do you do at Lufa Farms?

Of his many green tasks, Labrie says: “My official job title at Lufa Farms is a greenhouse aide. We are the ones that workmost closely with the plants, and it takes a team of four to six of us to manage the crop in its entirety. This includes generalcrop work in the tomatoes and eggplants to ensure their optimal growth. We also get involved in crop rotations, as well asgeneral maintenance tasks and monitoring of certain components in the greenhouse.”

Rows of lettuce at Lufa Farms

What does eating locally mean, and why is it so important?

This issue is an important one to anyone working in the field (pun intended) and it becomes clear that it’s at the heart ofwhat Olivier does: “To me, eating locally is meant to be a collective experience between communities, farmers,organizations, and small business owners. It is important for the reason that it connects people with each other, and withwholesome food. This is unique in the sense that it presents society, and farmers, with the opportunity to act outside of theconventional food system, and create positive change through initiating a renewed appreciation for food and communityliving, in this case in Montreal.”

Baby cucumber plants from Lufa Farms

Why should we get local vegetables from Lufa?

On this, it’s simple for Olivier: “Purchasing local vegetables and local fruit from organizations such as Lufa Farms will helpsustain this urban and suburban agriculture movement at a local level, and help bring the most fresh, diverse, andnutrient-dense foods to your plate.”

An example of the kind of basket you might get at Lufa

That said, it’s easy to see why eating locally is becoming a tastier and tastier option for many. Buying your food closer tohome promotes healthier, more environmentally-conscious lifestyles, supports local agriculture and farmers, stimulateslocal businesses, and always keeps your plate full of delicious discoveries all year round. As a leader in the practice ofproviding patrons with greenhouse-grown greens, it’s easy to see why Lufa Farms is an inspirational Montreal successstory, with hundreds of loyal basket-buyers all over the city.

As a graduate of McGill’s Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Program, a long-time enthusi-activist for urbanagriculture, and as the head honcho of the (literally) ground-breaking Quinoa For Change Montreal project, Labrie knowshis stuff. We want to thank him and Lufa Farms for this unique and insightful peek at a company taking steps in the rightdirection, and for getting us excited all over again for local greens!

If you’re interested in Lufa’s local products and getting a basket, check out their site!

If you’re interested in growing your own vegetables, check out Navut’s blog on why you should get started today!

If you’d like to know more about Olivier Labrie and his eco-friendly projects, check out his site!

If you’d like to find out more about green neighborhoods in Montreal, check out Navut’sMontreal Neighborhood Profiles!