Canada’s Only Supermarket Rooftop Garden Keeps Growing – Montreal

From the car park, you may not notice that there is a 2,700 square metre garden on the roof of the IGA Extra Famille Duchemin in Ville-Saint-Laurent.

The green roof has now been in use for eight seasons and this year the store entered into a partnership with the Montreal-based non-profit organization La Ferme de Rue.

“We produce, condition, package products and reduce yield,” said Réal Migneault, founder of La Ferme de Rue Montreal.

This year, the garden is growing 40 different organic vegetables, herbs and Quebec garlic.

From eggplant to tomatoes, spinach and peppers – you name it, they have it.

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The products are planted, grown, washed, packaged and brought to the supermarket.

“We have a place where we store all the fresh produce from the roof,” said Richard Duchemin, co-owner of IGA Extra Famille Duchemin St-Laurent. “We also have a monitor so customers can see how the farmers are growing and harvesting the vegetables.”

The non-profit organization oversees the harvest with a large team consisting of CEGEP students, newcomers and young people new to urban agriculture.

The organization also offers workshops for primary and secondary school students, hoping to convey an important message.

“Urban agriculture is one that involves pleasure,” Migneault said. “If you grow your own tomatoes, you’ll be happy, but at the same time you’re providing for your own food supply and you’re also doing a good thing for the environment.”

And it is also a helping hand for people in need.

Some of the produce grown here is shared with local organizations.

“At least 15 percent – ​​last year it was 18 percent – ​​goes to organizations that deal with food safety, but locally,” he said.

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