Creative working space and artisan coffee shop, Home of Honest Coffee, in the city of Salford, has taken one more step towards sustainability following the installation by Refarming Ltd & Co-operative and Mutual Solutions of a vertical hydroponic systems in its basement. The system will be used to grow salad greens and herbs for use in its on-site kitchen.
The initiative is the result of a new collaboration with local venture, Refarming Ltd and Co-operative and Mutual Solutions, and aims to bring food production closer to its consumers by working with ex-offenders during their rehabilitation process. It trains and supports them in the creation of micro-farms and the supply of nutritious produce so they are able to generate an income.
VydroFarm is the latest innovation from the UK’s leading hydroponics manufacturer, HydroGarden, based in Coventry. Each VydroFarm features vertical racks on tracks and is fully scalable, making them equally suitable for small scale production or for commercial growers requiring a large scale solution.
The system can be remotely monitored and controlled via smart phone, tablet or PC. Optimum lighting conditions for crop growth are achieved with Valoya LED lights, reducing the growing time of a consistent crop of lettuce to just 28 days.