Underground Farm Opens Up in London's Abandoned World War II Bunkers

A bomb shelter from World War II has become London’s hottest new farm. Growing Underground, opening this week, is the epitome of local food: everything is grown right under the streets of Clapham, in south London. 

“Tunnels that 70 years ago contained beds to house Londoners now contain beds to feed Londoners,” the farmers say. 

Image Credit: Zero Carbon Food ZCF via Flickr, courtesy Growing Underground

Using a clean-room loaded with LED lights and hydroponic growing technology, the farm grows vegetables 100 feet down. The produce is picked, packed, and on market shelves within just four hours. Radish, mustard, coriander, parsley, celery, and other greens should be hitting restaurants and stores sometime this month. 

Image Credit: Growing Underground

The project turns infrastructure made to house frightened citizens into a way to feed the city using fewer resources than traditional farming, which requires more land and trucks to ship the final product into restaurants and markets. They hope to get the project certified carbon-neutral, making Londoners’ salads will be even more guilt-free than usual. 

[h/t: Neatorama]