The Quebec-based network of rooftop farms is supplying same-day produce to Ottawa and Gatineau while scouting for its next greenhouse location.
Lufa Farms, a Montreal-based hydroponic agriculture company that has spent 15 years building a network of rooftop farms in Quebec, is expanding into Ottawa and Gatineau with greenhouse-grown produce, baked goods, and regionally sourced groceries.
The company launched its delivery service in the National Capital Region at the start of March and is evaluating locations for a potential rooftop farm in Ontario.
Most supermarket vegetables in Ottawa travel thousands of kilometres before reaching store shelves. Lufa’s greens follow a shorter supply chain.
“If you buy zucchinis today from Mexico, they’re probably 12 days old. If you buy peppers from Lufa, they will be about six hours old when you get them,” said Lionel Trombert, Lufa Farms’ Vice President of Finance. He said the company’s controlled environment allows for year-round production and stable pricing, whereas traditional farms rely on seasonal harvests.
The company’s expansion comes as U.S. trade tensions and tariff whiplash turn produce aisles into a guessing game of ‘Canadian or American?’ At the same time, the impending closure of a longtime ByWard Market greengrocer has some shoppers reconsidering where they buy their food.
Evening Update
Ottawa market ripe for the picking
Lufa Farms joins a number of direct-to-consumer grocery options in the region, including farmers markets, seasonal farm-direct baskets, and surplus grocery programs like Odd Bunch, driven by interest in locally sourced food, fluctuating prices, and calls to ‘relocalize’ production.
Lufa Farms operates a network of rooftop farms across Montreal and works with more than 200 regional growers and small-scale food producers who meet the company’s no-pesticide policy. The result is a hybrid grocery model: shoppers fill online baskets with hydroponic greens grown by Lufa, plus dairy, meat, and specialty items from partners.
Ottawa customers have access to the same selection as Montrealers, except for alcohol, which Lufa can’t legally transport across provincial lines.
Lufa Farms delivery zones in Ottawa
Zoom in using the magnifying glass, drag the map using the hand icon, and click on an area to see the minimum order amount.
Rooftop farm-to-table
While Lufa’s arrival in Ottawa is limited to distribution, the company is looking for a rooftop to host its next farm. Their model relies on large, flat commercial buildings (often warehouses) with infrastructure capable of supporting hydroponic greenhouses.
“We need a lot of conditions to go in,” said Trombert, citing the size of the roof, electrical access, and road access.
A new Ontario farm would require a roof of around 150,000 square feet with strong load-bearing capacity. “If it’s a new roof to be built, then it’s a bit more efficient because we can develop and maximize the building capacity,” said Trombert.
“The rooftop serves as an insulation for the building as a whole… We are able to recycle water efficiently, reuse rainwater, take care of melting the snow, and optimize CO2 from the building,” he explained.
One potential site has been identified just outside of Ottawa, on the Ontario side of the border. Another is under consideration in Gatineau, said Trombert.
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