Urban Agriculture: Montrealers Are Interested in What Grows in Montréal

Ultra-local agriculture is taking on increasingly diverse forms in the metropolis. The second edition of Fermes en Ville, held from September 9 to 13, has just provided a new glimpse into this trend. Eighteen Montreal farms participated in the initiative, and attendance at the four flagship events combined is estimated at more than 3,000.

For this second edition, Fermes en Ville was able to count on Antonin Mousseau-Rivard as its spokesperson and the lead chef for the Banquet, with the goal of bringing urban farms even closer to Montreal’s kitchens and dinner tables.

Montreal Products on Montreal Plates

Fermes en Ville seeks to strengthen the connections between producers, citizens, restaurants, and other stakeholders in Montreal’s organic food sector.

This year, 17 restaurants participated in the Vitrines, creating dishes using Montreal-grown products such as Montreal melon (Multicaf), garleek grown on the roof of the Palais des Congrès, oyster mushrooms from Atelier de champignons Big Bloc, herbs from Super Boat People, and cider from Cidre Sauvageon.

The Banquet, the opening night event attended by more than 320 guests, brought together 23 organic food producers and companies from the metropolitan area. The menu, which showcased Montreal-grown products, was prepared by Festigoût, the catering service of La Corbeille Bordeaux-Cartierville.

Finally, the Foire welcomed 22 local exhibitors, who interacted with 1,000 visitors. Among the new features of this second edition, the Centrale agricole’s “Fête des crus urbains” offered visitors the chance to discover spirits produced in Montreal through tastings, in addition to a talk by journalist Karyne Duplessis Piché on pairing local products.

These events help bring into sharper focus a reality that is sometimes overlooked: Montreal, with its 80 urban agriculture businesses, is a global leader.

What’s more, this production is surprisingly diverse. From mushrooms to microgreens, vegetables to fish, melon to edible flowers, urban farms are growing products that find their way into restaurants, stores, institutions, and the meals of Montrealers.

From Local to Ultra-Local

While there’s a lot of talk about buying local, Fermes en Ville highlights another level of proximity: the ultra-local. Food produced in Montreal is served in the city’s restaurants. Farms are opening their doors to the public. Chefs are discovering producers located sometimes just a few kilometers from their kitchens. Agricultural businesses are developing new ways of producing food right in the heart of the city.

This second edition of Fermes en Ville reflects a growing interest in food that can be produced, discovered, and consumed in the metropolis — sometimes much closer to home than one might imagine.

Discover the Farms Behind the Products

Fermes en Ville also allows the public to go from the plate to the place of production. As part of the Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA)’s “Open House on Quebec Farms” event—managed by the Laboratoire sur l'agriculture urbaine for Montréal—nearly 600 people visited five agricultural sites in Montreal. It was an opportunity to explore the facilities, production methods, and organizations that grow and produce food right in the heart of the city.

These visits help put a face on urban agriculture and provide a better understanding of the realities of food production just a few steps away from the consumer.

A Collaborative Project

This second edition was made possible thanks to the involvement of a broad network of public and private partners, as well as partners from Montreal’s agri-food ecosystem. Fermes en Ville is an initiative of PME MTL Centre-Ouest, carried out in collaboration with the Laboratoire sur l’agriculture urbaine (AU/LAB)  and La Table Ronde.

The second edition was supported by three local partners in particular: the SDC District Central (co-organizer of the Banquet), the SDC Quartier FLO, and La Centrale agricole (co-organizers of the Fair). These partners helped anchor the activities in various communities and production sites.

The initiative also receives financial support from the ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation; the arrondissement d’Ahuntsic-Cartierville; Desjardins; Tourisme Montréal; Bopaq; and Aliments du Québec au menu.

The 2026 edition was also supported by La Presse, the main media partner of Fermes en Ville, as well as by On est dans le jus. Les Survenants served as the event’s executive producer.