MoFarm makes innovation testable.
MoFarm is a dedicated pilot farm designed and hosted by Montel in Montmagny, Québec, adjacent to Montel’s manufacturing facility.
It provides a controlled, real-world testing environment where research can be evaluated under conditions that reflect actual indoor vertical farming operations.
A collaboration between Montel and researchers at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), with major support from the Weston Family Foundation
The Challenge
Berries are high-value crops with strong consumer demand — but indoor production is difficult to scale.
The reason is simple: pollination is complex in enclosed, vertical, multi-layer environments where airflow, lighting, and spatial constraints limit traditional methods.
For indoor berries to become reliably scalable, the industry needs a solution designed specifically for controlled environments — not a workaround.
The Innovation
TMU researchers Professor Habiba Bougherara and Professor Lesley Campbell are advancing a patented system that uses airflow and microclimate control to autonomously transfer pollen between flowers — enabling raspberries, and potentially other berries, to be grown indoors without bees.
In June 2025, the team was awarded funding of up to $5 million to accelerate this work, supported by the Weston Family Foundation through the Homegrown Innovation Challenge.
“This funding allows us to build and test a system that could transform indoor berry production in Canada. Partnering with Montel gives us the ability to validate our technology under real indoor growing conditions.”
— Professor Habiba Bougherara, Toronto Metropolitan University
Why It Matters
If validated, pollinator-independent indoor berry production could:
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Improve yield predictability and enable multi-layer production in controlled environments
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Reduce reliance on vulnerable pollinator populations
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Support resilient, year-round Canadian berry production
Project Status
MoFarm is currently under construction. As the pilot farm evolves, Montel will share milestone updates through this page — including research progress, build phases, and key learnings.
If you would like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-877-935-0236
MoFarm helps make that future testable.
Montel’s Role
Montel joins this initiative as a recognized leader in indoor vertical farming systems and engineered space optimization — supporting TMU’s scientific leadership with the infrastructure, engineering, and build expertise required to test innovation at operational scale.
This partnership reflects what Montel does best: building environments where performance is measurable, repeatable, and designed to evolve.
“Montel’s mission has always been to help growers ‘grow more’ with less space. Collaborating with TMU allows us to push the boundaries of what indoor growing can achieve when advanced science and engineering work hand in hand.”
— Yves Bélanger, VP Sales – Indoor Vertical Farming, Montel Inc.
