Lufa Farms this month announced that they are selling their produce in Walmart.
The Montreal-based Lufa is the maker of hyperlocal produce in hydroponic greenhouse atop commercial buildings and a pioneer of the concept.
Initially, the partnership is in operation at the Marché Central Walmart Supercentre.
This marks the first time produce from Lufa Farms will be sold through a retailer as well as the first time Walmart Canada will sell produce from a store’s rooftop greenhouse, according to a statement from the organizations.
Harvested each morning will be rotating crops of tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers which become available for sale as quickly as one hour after being picked.
Luca’s rooftop greenhouses, which utilize LED lighting, require half the energy of a conventional ground-level greenhouse while recycling up to 90% of used water.
“Rooftops are one of the most underused spaces in cities—and yet they’re perfect for growing food,” says Mohamed Hage, cofounder of Lufa.
“Walmart has a huge network of rooftops across the country, and by transforming just one of them into a greenhouse, we’re showing what’s possible: fresh, local vegetables grown sustainably and sold just downstairs, the same day they’re harvested,” he said.
Sam Wankowski, chief merchandising officer for Walmart Canada, believes that customers “will be delighted by the local crops that are grown with more sustainable farming practices and then harvested on-demand each day—available at our every day low prices.”
“Across the country, we’re proud to work with local farmers and producers to bring their products to Walmart Canada’s shelves,” Wankowski said. “This collaboration with Lufa Farms brings that approach even closer to home by offering our customers the opportunity to purchase hyperlocal produce grown in the greenhouse above our Marché Central store.”
Employing 100,000 nationwide, Walmart Canada has more than 400 stores across the country serving a combined 1.5 million customers each day, while Walmart.ca is visited by more than 1.5 million customers daily.
Lufa Farms was founded in 2009.