London is home to the world’s first underground farm. The world’s first underground farm, 33 metres below London, UK, is growing salad and vegetables for the city. The farm claims to use 70% less water than a conventional, above-ground farm. It’s one of the solutions being proposed to feed our growing population and combat the threat of climate change. At the height of the Second World War, the British government built eight huge shelters deep under London. They protected Londoners from bombs, and now one of these bunkers has found a role in a new battle – the fight against climate change. Thirty-three metres below the streets of Clapham, in south-west London, lies what was claimed at its launch to be the world’s first subterranean farm . It uses the latest hydroponic technology and LED lighting powered by renewable energy to produce fresh vegetables. Growing Underground is the brainchild of two friends, Richard Ballard and Steven Dring, who set up their company Zero Carbon Farms in 2015. Today they have a hectare of underground growing space producing leafy greens, herbs like Thai basil and garlic chives and pea shoots. The growing process is soil-free – plants are grown on […]
This WW2 bunker is growing sustainable salad leaves deep underground. Here’s how
