Growing Underground: London uses bomb shelters for vegetables

One hundred feet beneath the bustling city of London, in air raid shelters used during World War II, a company is growing leafy greens. Welcome to Growing Underground.

Using a hydroponics system — a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions in water — and LED lighting, the company grows nine kinds of veggie and three herbs year long in the 2.5 acres underneath the London Underground’s Northern line.

See also: Startup Aims to Make Hydroponic Farming Accessible to Everyone

The "Action spectrum" for biological lighting

As a part of the larger company Zero Carbon Food, cofounded by Richard Ballard and Steven Dring, Growing Underground prides itself on being a carbon neutral operation. The underground farm estimates that its hydroponics system uses 70 percent less water than the traditional open-field farming.


Besides providing eco-friendly food, Growing Underground’s system seeks to reduce “food miles” — or the distance it takes for produce to reach your plate. Because the company grows in, around and under London for London residents, the time between harvest and sale could be as little as four hours.

Root mass of hydroponic lettuce (Cornell University)

“Global farming is responsible for a third of the world’s output of CO2, the depletion of oil, water resources and the use of phosphorous, which just isn’t future-proof,” the duo behind Growing Underground said in their video pitch. “Our method uses virtually no food miles, no pesticides, giving you a longer shelf life.”

In an effort to continue the growth of the actual operation and not its underground greens, Growing Underground started a crowdfunding campaign on CrowdCube. For now, the company has raised about £45,000 (a little under $75,000) of a £300,000 (about $490,000) goal with 51 days left to go.

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Topics: crops, Health & Fitness, hydroponic, LED light, london, United Kingdom, US & World, World