SCOTLAND: City Hydroponics Company Growing Fast
February 24, 2020
An Edinburgh based start-up is going to fastback indoor ‘vertical farms’ across the UK.
The company says that its vertical farms will grow up to five times as many greens as traditional ones. Shockingly Fresh have just obtained planning permission for a 1.2ha site near Offenham in Worcestershire for their low cost naturally-lit ‘vertical farm’ – which uses special hydroponic towers to grow multiple crop cycles of green veg such as salads and herbs.
Saturn Bioponics’ CEO Alex Fisher at a farm near Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, 31st August 2017.
The specialist firm has approval from Wychavon District Council to build a state-of-the-art 11,899 square meter greenhouse on the site in partnership with indoor farming specialists Saturn Bioponics and nationwide salad growers Valefresco. The farm will be completed this summer and will then start producing crops shortly thereafter. The increased output will offset the setup costs, and the enclosed environment leads to cleaner crops and less pesticide use.
Dr. Garth Bryans COO of Shockingly Fresh.
The team then plans a rapid roll-out of 40 more indoor farms in the next 5 years. Dr. Garth Bryans COO at Shockingly Fresh said: “The Midlands are ideal for vertical farming and we are really excited about delivering our first site.“
The climate is good, there is a well-established horticulture sector and it is close to major markets and road networks, so it makes sense for us to begin our rollout plans there.“
We have identified a significant market – particularly around the early and late season ‘shoulder months’ – which is currently filled by imported crops from Europe. We believe a raft of sites across the country will enable British growers to compete on a level field.“
We have partnered with hydroponic specialists Saturn Bioponics which supplies all of the equipment and we are focussed on raising finance, finding sites and securing planning consent. If our plans develop as we hope then vertical farms will become an important part of the UK vegetable supply chain.”