GrowUp Urban Farms was founded in 2013 by Kate Hofman and Tom Webster to build sustainable commercial urban farms growing food for local markets. It is committed to feeding people in cities in a way that is positive for communities and the environment, today and in the future.
It's got an amazing flavour
GrowUp Urban Farms
London, UK
We use it because it’s got an amazing flavour, really peppery, mustardy
The challenge
The founders realised that if they wanted to build a farm that was commercially viable in a city where space is at a premium, like London, they had to be able to grow upwards as well as use the space around them. Co-founder Kate Hofman says, 'The only way to make that work was to grow indoors, and we had to look for a lighting solution that would help us produce the best quality produce.'
The right lighting
Everything is delivered to local customers within 12 hours after harvest. According to Chef Joel Braham at The Good Egg in Stoke Newington, London loves GrowUp’s salad greens. 'We use it because it’s got an amazing flavour: really peppery, mustardy… It doesn’t matter what time of year we get the salad, even in the middle of the winter, it’s always the same.
Hofman says, 'Using LED lighting offers a number of benefits for growing sustainable food. When we control what light the plants are receiving, we have more overall control over their growth. This means plants germinate quicker, their roots grow faster and we get bigger yields.' LEDs run at cooler temperatures than other horticultural lamps. This means they can be placed closer to the plant ensuring its leaves are receiving a uniform amount and quality of light which encourages homogenous growth.
'Importantly for us, LED lighting is also highly energy efficient. In terms of energy usage LED lighting systems can use reportedly 85% less energy than traditional methods. The use of LEDs rather than fluorescent lamps, for example, helps us to further lower our energy consumption,' says Hofman.
Philips GreenPower LED production module
The production module is developed for multi-layer cultivation in conditioned environments with little or no daylight.
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Creating a recipe for growth for indoor farming
At the Philips GrowWise Center we focus on making indoor farming successful. Founded in 2015 to prove the concept of indoor farming, GrowWise has since grown into a research power house.
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