Urban farmer sells backyard bounty at nearby market

A vendor at the new 124 Street Grand Market grows his salad greens in the backyard of his Westmount home to make a point about the possibilities offered by urban farming.

"Part of the reason I did it is because the garden is so huge," said Travis Kennedy, owner of Lactuca. "We ended up with surplus every year."

Kennedy is so close to the market's location at 124th Street and 108th Avenue that he can transport his product in a bin strapped to the back of his tricycle.

Kennedy is growing 40 to 50 fruits and vegetables in his backyard plot, including grapes, onions, garlic and strawberries, as well as the 10 varietal greens he sells at the market each week.

"There's possibility for people like me to move in and produce very narrow niche products and make a decent profit at it," Kennedy said. "Not a huge pile of money, but enough to pay for their hobby, pay for their tools, really, really make a go of it.

"It shows how intense you can be on a small piece of land."

The 124 Street Grand Market takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. each Thursday until Oct. 4.