Farming the future: Harvest London

Hydroponic farming is the process of growing inside in water rather than soil. It’s truly the definition of zero waste. We visited our suppliers: Harvest London to find out more about growing produce in a hydroponic farm and what that means for TYME products.

100% renewable energy:

Hydroponic farming is highly water efficient, it uses nutrient enriched water to flood the plants five times a day, the water is drained away and recycled to be used again. 

“a clean, productive and sustainable model of agriculture that can in time make a real contribution to the resilience – social, economic and also environmental – of the kind of big cities where most of humanity now lives. And look: it really works.” Pascal Hardy, for the Guardian

By using a climate controlled environment, farms can exist in places that are not favorable for traditional food production, like London. By farming vertically, producers are able to take advantage of every square metre and whatsmore there is no crop damage due to weather conditions. This reduces the food’s carbon footprint as it doesn’t need to be shipped from abroad. 

“Transportation adds a significant cost and carbon footprint to food taken from rural farms to large population hubs such as London.”
Steven Dring,  Zero Carbon Food.

Why hydroponic farming matters

Farmers usually plant speculatively, in order to ensure they have the most abundant crop possible.This results in as much as 3.6 million tonnes of all food harvested, being wasted before it leaves UK farms annually (WRAP, 2019). Hydroponic farming is different, it’s highly efficient and crops are grown according to demand. This is due, in part, to the fact that the plants can be exposed to longer periods of light, thus speeding up the growing process. In some cases the growing process can yield as much as 240 times the yield of other farming practices (EdenGreen).

Who are Harvest?

Established in 2017 by Chris Davies and Matt Chlebek, Harvest London is a hydroponic vertical farming supplier, on a mission to build a sustainable food system with greater choice. They grow over 100 different edible plants, using 95% less water and fertiliser than traditional growing methods. Grown using renewable energy and no pesticides, they are passionate about minimising waste by growing everything to order.

What this means for TYME
TYME is on a mission to minimize our impact and food waste. We are passionate about supporting British producers, especially that which has a reduced supply chain. We use Harvest’s herbs which make a short journey of just 3.5 miles to our kitchen in Shoreditch. Thus, reducing the carbon footprint of Harvest’s produce. The herbs are then added to our delicious lunches and act as the backbone of flavour in our dishes.