
What do you do with an unused bomb shelter? Entrepreneurs in London have started growing produce in tunnels beneath the city, a space originally intended to protect 8,000 residents during World War II.
The subterranean farm, called Growing Underground, will start delivering produce to market later this month. As described by the farm’s creators, “Crops are grown in a sealed clean-room environment with a bespoke ventilation system, advanced lighting and a sophisticated irrigation system that enable the farm to produce crops at very low energy. The farm’s mission is to deliver fresh produce with zero effect on the environment and all energy is sourced from green suppliers.”
The crowd-funded effort took 18 months of research and development, and this first phase represents an investment of £750,000 (about US $1.71 million). If it’s successful, neighboring shelters are available for it to expand. Urban planners around the world are watching to see how it works and whether something similar might be feasible in other cities.
London’s mayor praised the farm as part of the city’s green economy, which he says has grown to about £30 billion annually. Growing produce so close to the heart of the city could reduce fuel costs for transporting the food to market. Similar urban farming efforts have sprung up on vacant lots in US cities including Minneapolis, Boston, and New York.
ECBs and TRMs
For those of us still working above ground, a webinar from Forester University will help choose the right erosion control blankets and turf reinforcement mats for a given site. “Selecting the Best ECBs & TRMs for Your Project” takes place this Thursday, July 9. Presenters Jerry Fifield and Tina Wills of HydrDynamics Inc. will look at the various products on the market, their applications, and their limitations. They will present examples showing how to select the correct product to install in drainage channels for a soft-armoring approach achieving sustainable stabilization.
Janice Kaspersen
Janice Kaspersen is the former editor of Erosion Control and Stormwater magazines.