Skyfarms was an irresistible concept from the start: urban vegetable gardens on company rooftops. With Skyfarms, owners Augustin Nourissier and Véronique De Wever won the 2019 Public Award of the hub.awards. A sign that everything was indeed going according to plan…until the corona crisis hit.

Resilience and creativity. That became the new motto of many entrepreneurs, since COVID-19 mercilessly thwarted countless business plans. For quite a few of these affected companies it even came down to a serious sink or swim scenario. The same went for Véronique and Augustin, who saw and seized new opportunities during the crisis. In fact, Skyfarms came out of the crisis stronger than ever!

Veggies to fight the crisis

When many Brussels residents were forced to stay (and work) at home, vegetable gardens suddenly became a real outlet. People started working en masse – on their windowsills, the balconies, in the garden, etc. Suddenly, colleagues were exchanging tips about plants, vegetables and herbs during online meetings. This green boom played beautifully into the hands of Skyfarms. Previously, the company had focused on rooftop gardens for companies, but its offerings for individuals were rather limited. COVID-19 turned that ratio completely around. And ultimately it proved crucial to the survival of the company. The webshop was working overtime. The gardening materials and locally grown plants were selling out fast.

Skylab’s owners met through greenlab, the business incubator for sustainable enterprises – an initiative of hub.brussels. “With the help of hub.brussels, the seed was sown for Skyfarms. They also provided the necessary guidance during the start-up and growth phase. They create the ideal conditions for entrepreneurs.“