Advanced Aeroponics™ in Action: A Look Inside Our Heath Farm Open Day

A Look inside our Heath Farm Open Day

On September 4th, we opened our doors at the Heath Farm Innovation Centre, not just for a tour, but to showcase the future of CEA firsthand.

The event was all about seeing our Advanced Aeroponics™ in action, a technology we believe represents a step-change in irrigation. Our team of experts demonstrated how our systems boost crop yields by up to 20% compared to hydroponics, all while using less water and fertiliser. We showed how this translates into tangible benefits for growers, from increasing productivity to unlocking challenging crops like spinach and moving away from peat substrates.

With 40 guests representing nearly 30 companies, the exclusive day was designed to highlight the latest advancements in aeroponic technology, provide valuable insights from expert industry leaders and foster collaboration across the sector.

The day kicked off with a BASIS accredited agronomists’ session featuring a crop walk and Q&A with LettUs Grow's CSO & Co-Founder, Jack Farmer, and Head Grower, Andrew Worrall, alongside Peter Waldock from Growing Earth Consultancy. The morning session provided a deep-dive into the technologies application with a variety of selected crops including spinach, lettuce, basil and watercress with a specific focus on the unique root zone environment and its effect on plant behaviour.

The core of the event was the "Technology & crop showcase and innovation spotlight," which included a tour of the world leading aeroponic research facility and presentations from industry experts.

During the showcase we took a closer look at the technical features of our Aeroponic Rolling Benches, with LettUs Grow’s CTO & Co Founder Ben Crowther providing a detailed demonstration of how the technology integrates seamlessly into greenhouse and vertical farming systems. Guests also got an opportunity to get up close again with the selected crops on show.

The innovation spotlight session was kicked off by Jack Farmers with "Understanding the aeroponic growing environment" which explained how our unique ultrasonic aeroponics delivers unparalleled oxygen to the roots, leading to healthier plants and faster growth. Up next we learned about "Innovation in growing media" from Jiffy's Kyle Freedman with a closer look at Jiffy Gel: a fully biodegradable hydrogel substrate designed to enhance water retention, root development and crop uniformity. Last but not least we explored "Smart vision systems in CEA" with Charles Veys of Fotenix who demonstrated how they’re helping growers improve quality and drive profitability with AI.

A key highlight of the afternoon was the "State of the industry" panel, hosted by LettUs Grow's Business Development Lead, Oscar Davidson. The discussion featured leading industry players and LettUs Grow partners CambridgeHOK, HT Verboom, and TTA-ISO, who shared their interesting perspectives and predictions on the future of CEA. 

The panel discussion provided a concise overview of the current state of the controlled CEA industry, highlighting key challenges and opportunities. The conversation yielded several actionable takeaways for industry players:

Focus on Reality: The panelists agreed that the sector needs to move past "chasing valuations" and instead focus on realistic business models and the total cost of ownership. The viability of a CEA project is dependent on local factors like energy costs and labor, not just technology.

The Power of Collaboration: International and cross-industry partnerships were identified as crucial for accelerating innovation. A culture of sharing knowledge, even among competitors, can help the entire industry progress faster.

Embrace Automation: Automation was a central theme. Given global labor challenges, panelists urged growers to proactively adopt automation to improve consistency and reduce long-term operational costs.

Strategic Location: The location of new facilities is critical. The best sites are chosen not just for land availability but also for access to affordable energy and the ability to leverage waste heat or other co-located resources.

Future Outlook: The panel identified significant opportunities for CEA driven by global climate change and water shortages. The industry must continue to evolve to meet these challenges, with a focus on high-value crops and proven, scalable technology.

LettUs Grow recently announced the launch of Bristol Basil Co., a new community-focused initiative which reimagines how herbs reach local restaurants with minimal food miles and maximum flavour. Instead of letting trial crops from the aeroponic systems go to waste, LettUs Grow are growing high-quality basil for hand-picked local partners including Pizzarova. Their sustainable collaboration was celebrated at the Open Day, with Pizzarova’s Land Rover serving a selection of handmade pizzas with Bristol Basil Co’s tasty basil that was harvested straight from Heath Farm’s facility.

Following the overwhelmingly positive feedback about the Open Day, LettUs Grow has committed to hosting more events and tours in 2026. Excitingly, they will be introducing one-day and two-day grower workshops which are designed to provide novice to advanced growers with a unique learning event and hands-on experience with aeroponic technology. 

Get in touch with the team if you have any questions about the Grower Workshops or events and tours in 2026: info@lettusgrow.org.