Saturday 20 July 2013

Is this the farm of the future?



A project in Salford is leading the way forward in growing organic food in what was a derelict warehouse and adjacent waste land. The Biospheric Project describes itself as ‘part farm, part laboratory and part research centre’ and is run by a PhD student.

Interestingly, the Biosphere project is part of Manchester International Festival; an arts festival. The biosphere includes a forest garden, vermiponics system (lots of worms to help the plants grow) , mushroom systems, hydroponic system, aquaponics systems (using fish waste as plant nutrients) and the roof garden containing intense polytunnel growing system within outdoor garden and 3 store indoor farm. - See more at: http://biosphericproject.com/content/first-weekend-biospheric-project

All the systems are integrated as far as possible, for example the aquaponics provides nitrogen to fertilise the roof garden.  And the community has been involved in creating and running the project. A shop has been opened to sell their fresh produce to locals in what is a deprived area.

NB Aquaponics – system where fish waste is used to fertilise plants
Vermiponics - cross between hydroponics and aquaponics but with lots of worms

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