Lufa Farms
Coordinates: 45°31′54″N 73°39′20″W / 45.53162°N 73.65559°W
 | |
| Private | |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Headquarters | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
Key people |
Mohamed Hage (Founder, CEO) Kurt Lynn (Founding Member, Vice President) Lauren Rathmell (Founding Member, Greenhouse Director) Yahya Badran (Founding Member, Director of Engineering) Dave Furneaux(Chairman) |
| Products | Subscription-based food ecommerce |
Number of employees | 30 |
| Website | lufa.com |
Lufa Farms is an agricultural and technology company located in the Ahuntsic-Cartierville neighborhood of Montreal, Quebec. It is reputed to have built the world's first commercial greenhouse on the roof of a building. The company's first Montreal greenhouse began operations in early 2011. Its second greenhouse, located in Laval, opened in late 2013.
Description
Lufa Farms specializes in new agricultural technologies in urban zones. In 2009, Mohamed Hage founded the company and brought on a team consisting of Lauren Rathmell, Kurt Lynn, and Yahya Badran, which built the first rooftop greenhouse in early 2011.[1][2] Lufa Farms' headquarters is located beneath its first greenhouse at 1400 Antonio-Barbeau Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Covering an area of 31,000 square feet, Lufa Farms produces vegetables year-round for more than 3,000 people in the greater Montreal area.[3][4] The farms produce forty varieties of vegetables grown without synthetic pesticides, capturing rainwater, and recirculating irrigation water.[5] The company delivers more than 2,000 baskets per week, or about 700 pounds of produce per day.[6][7]
Lufa Farms' relies on a direct-to consumer business model, which minimizes the transport of food. Unlike traditional greenhouses, Lufa Farms recreates several microclimates to provide the quality and productivity of cultivars.[8] According to the founder of Lufa Farms, Mohamed Hage, "If we were using the roofs of 19 shopping centers in Montreal, we could make the city self-sufficient."[4]
A second greenhouse of 43,000 square feet opened September 2013 in Laval. This facility was built in conjunction with the Dutch greenhouse manufacturer KUBO.[9] Lufa Farms plans to export the model to the United States in the near future, targeting cities including Boston.[1][4][10]
Honors and awards
- C2-MTL, Creative answers to commercial questions contest.
- C2-MTL, Emerging Entrepreneurs Contest.[11]
- Urban Times, One of 15 Startups That Improve our World.[12]
Gallery
Mohamed Hage, founder of Lufa Farms.
Plant science team member.
Vegetables harvest.
Preparation of vegetable baskets.
Boston lettuce.
Tomato rows.
Chard Growing in nutrient film system.
Construction of the new greenhouse in Laval, Quebec (2013).
See also
References
- 1 2 Teresa Novellino (October 15, 2012). "Lufa Farms practices agriculture for geeks". Retrieved August 11, 2013.
- ↑ David Suzuki. The Nature of Things, CBC, ed. "Suzuki Diaries: Future City - Lufa Farms". Retrieved August 2, 2013.
- ↑ Glen Rifkin (May 18, 2011). The New York Times, ed. "Cash Crops Under Glass and Up on the Roof". Retrieved July 30, 2013.
- 1 2 3 Alexandre Shields (July 20, 2013). Le Devoir, ed. "Des tomates plein le toit - Ajouter de la culture dans la ville" [Full roof tomatoes - Adding culture in the city] (in French). Retrieved August 2, 2013.
- ↑ James Rathmell (May 14, 2013). "Lufa Farms' plan to change how cities eat". Retrieved August 11, 2013.
- ↑ Template:Web site
- ↑ Maxime Coutié (June 20, 2012). "La générosité de la serre Lufa" [The generosity of the greenhouse Lufa] (in French), C'est bien meilleur le matin, Radio-Canada, June 20, 2012.
- ↑ Les Chefs, Poivrons et aubergines (in French), Radio-Canada, July 8, 2013.
- ↑ asormani (October 10, 2012). "Lufa Farms secures expansion financing". Retrieved August 11, 2013.
- ↑ Sarah Elton, The farm on top of the city, Maclean's, October 18, 2012.
- ↑ C2-MTL, Bird? Plane? Lufa Farms!, May 22, 2013.
- ↑ Urban Times, STARTUP LAB – Ep. 3: Lufa Farms, November 12, 2011.