Growing Underground is a hydroponics farm below the streets of southwest London, which is powered by renewable energy
Adisused air raid shelter is an unlikely source for a salad. But that’s exactly where you’ll find Growing Underground, a hydroponics farm below the streets of southwest London. Founders Richard Ballard and Steven Dring have been selling micro-herbs and baby greens to restaurants and markets since 2015.
The farm uses hydroponic technology – growing plants in water systems rather than soil. Although that technology has been around for decades, explains Ballard, it’s the LED light technology that enables him to grow large amounts of crops in a relatively small urban area. “There’s a whole lot that can be done with LEDs that is still in its infancy,” Ballard says. Already, LEDs allow the growers to alter the flavour of the greens, as their sugars and starches develop differently under different light spectrums.
Read more at Positive News (Lucy Douglas)