Paul Smyth, co-founder of the FARM: shop shows a customer some basil

Eco-designers Something and Son have taken the term Farm Shop literally, and have taken on the task of converting a disused shop in Hackney, East London, UK into a working farm. They have been working in partnership with Hackney Council as part of a regeneration scheme to breathe new life into redundant spaces.

Something and Son, with an invaluable team of volunteers, worked hard all through the summer months to convert the building from a run down shop into a clean, fresh space. Then, along with project partners GroWell Hydroponics, Aquaponics UK and Church Farm, set about creating eco and agricultural innovations that turned the space into an urban farm.

The aim of the project is to grow as much food as possible inside and outside the shop, including salad, herbs and vegetables. There are a wide range of growing techniques on display .

Upon entry to the building you enter the Aquaponics section. Aquaponics is a method of cultivating both fish and plants in a recirculating system. The tanks house Talapia and shrimp which provide water and nutrient to the vast beds of salad above them. The plants take what they need and effectively cleanse the water which then returns to the fish tanks.

The hydroponics floor contains numerous systems. A whole wall of basil, using T5 lights and NFT Gully’s in a cascading 5 tier system; air cooled high pressure sodium lighting covering flood and drain systems, dripper systems and NFT tanks all producing huge crops of peppers, cherry tomatoes and chillies.

In the backyard there is a huge polytunnel with soil beds and racks of potted plants. There are pigs in the back yard and resident chickens that live on the roof, supplying fresh eggs!

To compensate the use of energy needed for the different growing systems FARM:Shop have taken to recycling hot air from within their grow rooms to heat the other spaces in the building.  Carbon Filters and Acoustic Fans are being used to clean the hot air being pulled from the grow rooms, and pump it into their offices and meeting rooms, reducing the need for central heating to be running during the cooler months.

The FARM:Shop also houses a café, where people can sit, relax, and enjoy some of the fresh food that has been grown and prepared on site. FARM:Shop is a non profit project, so the produce sold in the café pays for the upkeep of the farm.

Something and Son’s Paul Smyth said “we hope FARM:Shop will play a vital role in helping Londoners understand where their food comes from, and give them a fun place to experience farm life, in the middle of the city”.

So far FARM:Shop has generated enormous interest from both the public and the media. From the BBC to the New York Times – the project is gaining more and more exposure and praise. Jamie Oliver has also been in to film a feature for his next series.

For more information on FARM:Shop, and opening times please visit  www.farmlondon.weebly.com