Local MP, Tom Tugendhat, got a first-hand look at the work Hadlow College is doing to inspire the next generation of students when he visited the College’s state-of-the-art glasshouse.
Constructed in 2022, the glasshouse plays an integral part in horticulture courses and features cutting edge technology, including:
- Suspended gutters running hydroponics for tomatoes and peppers in separate houses
- LED and High Pressure sodium lighting
- Vertical growing farm
- Latest environmental control computers – PRIVA
- Fogging systems for plant propagation
- Dedicated space for individual glasshouse research
- Outdoor standing down beds for shrub and herbaceous plant production
- New structures for seasonal bedding plant production
Students work alongside practitioners from leading industry grower Thanet Earth to develop their skills and produce hydroponic tomatoes in the Venlo glasshouse.
Tom Tugendhat, Member of Parliament for Tonbridge and Malling, enjoyed his visit, saying: “The new glasshouse offers a brilliant opportunity for students to work alongside and learn from the fantastic team at Thanet Earth and I’m sure it will go a long way in supporting their development.”
“It is fantastic to see investment into our community like this. I had a great time visiting the new glasshouse at Hadlow College and it really shows how invested they are in our community.”
Chris Lydon, Vice Principal of Hadlow College, said: “We are proud to be working with Thanet Earth to produce tomatoes in our new Venlo glasshouse. This unique partnership gives students the best opportunities to develop their skills working alongside current practitioners from a leading industry grower and the produce from the tomato crop is used on site in our own student eatery and also distributed by Fair Share.”
Rob James, Technical Director of Thanet Earth added: “We have a long standing relationship with Hadlow going back to 2011 when we set up our first Fellowship with the college, the facilities we now have on site are perfect for nurturing the next generation of experts in our industry.”
The glasshouse illustrates a commitment from the College to regenerative farming and horticulture, using practices that minimise harm to the environment.