Big society urban farming project goes hi-tech

Farm

: Store in East London community-based urban agriculture hosting "DIY-style" and education. Reports Jonathan Knott

"It's pretty new to me - I'm learning on the fly," said Kidd, as he explains the "aeroponic" method used to produce food in a room on the floor of the farm shop, a new project in Dalston, east London. A haven for former victims of domestic violence has been renovated to create the site, showing the potential of high technology, techniques urban agriculture.

Kidd

sprays nutrient solution on a few lettuce plants in the rockwool. "They look so much that you the explosive growth of roots," he said. "In the coming days, they should really start to take off."

a heroin addict in recovery who was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Kidd said his volunteer work here, "allows me to load. It gives me something to think and keep my mind occupied. "

time, take the stairs and cultures added to the "aquaponic" system where the plants are suspended in nutrient enriched water with waste products from a reservoir of 80 tilapia neighbors. " / Aa>

"is a closed system," said Paul Smyth, a Farm Shop co-founders, explaining how the system mimics the performance of nature. "You must add very little water, it is necessary to process fish waste, and get free food. "

aquaponics first discovered on YouTube, and stresses that neither he (engineer), nor his colleagues Andy Merritt (artist and sculptor) and Sam Henderson (sociologist) have agricultural backgrounds. After winning a scholarship to the regeneration of Hackney Council, the organization something, and the Son, tried to play the "culture of tinkering" of urban agriculture flourished in the United States.

"We are fortunately not too intimidating, and we thus learn," says Smyth. And the firm: Store also directed to broaden its appeal by creating a welcoming and attractive. The site opened in April, serves coffee and food, evenings of music and chat. The rooms are rented for meetings, offices and an after school club (The Pirates of Hackney made the pesto grown on the farm: The coffee menu). Farm:. Shop sells chicken eggs of four living in a cage on the roof, with more products in a polytunnel behind the store

"There's always a sense of wonder when people come," said Kristen Cheng, who volunteers at the farm: Shop and now manages the entire space-time. "It has an impact real vision. "
• "We wanted to be a place where people want to come," says Smyth. "And in doing so, expose it to people who are not interested."
Some 40 volunteers renovated the space of July weekend last year, and about 10 are currently working on the farm: Shop. About half are unemployed -. Although some have used the experiment to find gainful employment after

In one possible manifestation of the "great society", the experience has come from a wide range of sectors, including a specialized aquaponics Hackney and decorating business, but also to local residents experience with the cultivation of cannabis. "They come and tell us what we are doing wrong," said Smyth.

visitors are always ready to ask questions and share their own stories, with an effect to "clean up a lot of urban agriculture is already in development."
"A taxi driver came just to tell us how the tent was growing in his garden for sale in the Jewish market," said Smyth. "A woman of a city on the road came in who wanted to help the construction of the roof raising quail."

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