Walmart's rooftop greenhouse brings hyperlocal produce downstairs

Walmart and Lufa Farms are now selling hyperlocal produce from Lufa Farms’ 127,000-square-foot hydroponic greenhouse atop the Marché Central Walmart Supercentre in the store below.

This marks the first time produce from Montreal’s Lufa Farms will be sold through a retailer and the first time Walmart Canada will sell produce from a store’s rooftop greenhouse. Harvested on demand each morning, the rotating crops of tomatoes, cucumbers and Bell peppers will be available for sale in-store in as fast as an hour after being picked.

“Rooftops are one of the most underused spaces in cities — and yet they’re perfect for growing food,” said Mohamed Hage, founder and CEO of Lufa Farms. “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. This is how we can reimagine the future of food in cities.”

“Across the country, we’re proud to work with local farmers and producers to bring their products to Walmart Canada’s shelves. 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,” said Sam Wankowski, chief merchandising officer, Walmart Canada. “Our 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.”