A week to mobilize citizens, raise the profile of urban agriculture and create sustainable business connections.
Montréal, July 8, 2025 - PME MTL Centre-Ouest announces the very first edition of Fermes en Ville, a week of activities - from September 2 to 7, 2025 - dedicated to the discovery of urban-grown produce and the creation of sustainable business markets, supported in particular by leading figures in Montréal gastronomy.
This unprecedented initiative is financially supported by the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation (MAPAQ) as part of the Programme de développement territorial et sectoriel 2023-2026, and carried out in collaboration with the Laboratoire sur l'agriculture urbaine (AU/LAB) and La Table Ronde, the Collectif de la gastronomie québécoise, and offers several corporate and public events. Author Bernard Lavallée (Le nutritionniste urbain), will act as official spokesperson.
"This association with the Fermes en Ville event was a natural fit for me. As a nutritionist, I appreciate that urban agriculture reconnects city dwellers with the source and production of their food. It's also an interesting lever for public health, notably by making fresh, high-quality food more accessible to citizens. Montreal is teeming with inspiring initiatives, and it's a pleasure to help promote them," says Bernard Lavallée, spokesperson for Fermes en Ville.
An economic lever supported by MAPAQ and PME MTL Centre-Ouest
"Quebec's food autonomy is based on a vision that values both our traditional agriculture and new practices, such as urban agriculture. By supporting bio-food innovation and promoting access to healthy, local food in urban areas, your government is taking concrete action to support local businesses", André Lamontagne, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Minister responsible for the Centre-du-Québec region.
For over a decade, PME MTL Centre-Ouest has supported and financed the commercial urban agriculture industry on its territory, where most of the urban farms on the island of Montreal are concentrated. "Urban farms demonstrate every day that agricultural innovation can flourish right in the heart of the City. With Fermes en Ville, we're connecting them with the culinary scene, citizens and buyers alike, to transform this potential into concrete spin-offs: new markets for our businesses, local jobs and a more sustainable supply for the entire Montreal bio-food chain," says Marc-André Perron, General Manager, PME MTL Centre-Ouest.
Urban agriculture: a driving force for innovation and food autonomy
"Montréal stands out internationally for its dynamic approach. With the world's first greenhouse and largest rooftop farm, circular economy projects, technology projects, an indoor fish farm and more, Montreal is attracting the urban farmers of tomorrow. Quebec innovation in urban agriculture, whether technological or social, is at the heart of the city of the future. They represent Quebec innovations that can be exported. With Fermes en ville, we're showcasing Quebec know-how and highlighting its gastronomic and economic contribution," says Éric Duchemin, General Manager, Urban Agriculture Laboratory (AU/LAB).
There are seventy commercial or community projects already growing fruit, vegetables, mushrooms, microfoams and proteins in the heart of the metropolis, in various types of installations. Fermes en Ville intends to make this wealth visible to the general public, while facilitating links between producers, restaurateurs, retailers and institutions.
Gastronomy as a showcase for urban terroir
"We're thrilled to be collaborating on the first edition of Fermes en Ville, because for La Table Ronde's chef-members, urban produce offers unrivalled freshness, often harvested the same day and transported in ultra-short circuits. This proximity reduces our ecological footprint and fosters direct links with producers, fostering innovation and the development of exceptional foodservice products. Our restaurants are veritable living showcases, allowing the public to discover the richness of Montreal's urban terroir, enhanced by the talent and creativity of our chefs," emphasizes Debbie Zakaib, General Manager of La Table Ronde, the Collectif de la gastronomie québécoise.
Activities for the first edition of Fermes en Ville
- September 2 - Récoltes de ville agricultural fair: invitational professional meetings bringing together urban farms, restaurateurs, grocers and institutional buyers to develop sustainable partnerships.
- September 2 - Banquet solidaire de lancement: a festive outdoor meal featuring products from Montreal's urban farms, with a menu designed by Marc-André Royal, chef of Le St-Urbain restaurant.
- September 5 and 6 - Vitrines gourmandes: a dozen Montreal restaurants offer signature dishes specially created using ingredients from participating urban farms. Restaurant names to be announced.
- Discovery activities: picking workshops, open houses at rooftop greenhouses and vertical farms, urban honey harvesting, and neighbourhood parties.
The full program is available at www.fermesenville.ca.
Other quotes
"As a financial cooperative committed to the sustainable development of our communities, Desjardins is proud to support Fermes en ville, a buoyant event that promotes urban agriculture, food resilience and the circular economy. This project perfectly embodies our desire to invest in sustainable initiatives that showcase urban agricultural know-how while building bridges between citizens, producers and restaurateurs in our community," says Richard Georges, General Manager of the Caisse Desjardins du Centre-nord de Montréal.
"We're delighted to be working with PME Montréal and all the businesses they support. Urban agriculture contributes greatly to local economic development in a sustainable way, while playing a strategic role for important sectors such as the restaurant and institutional sectors. By encouraging agriculture in urban areas, we promote access to local, fresh and diversified food", Mathilde Laroche-Bougie, Head of the Quebec Food on the Menu Program and Strategic Partnerships, Aliments du Québec.
Fermes en Ville partners
- Implementation partners: PME MTL Centre-Ouest, La Table Ronde, Le Laboratoire sur l'agriculture urbaine.
- Sponsors: MAPAQ, Desjardins and Desjardins Caisse d'économie solidaire, Aliments du Québec au menu.
- Destination partners: SDC District Central, Ville en vert, Collège Ahuntsic, Quartier FLO, La Centrale agricole.