About Grow It York
Found in the heart of the medieval city of York, container park SPARK:York is home to a buzzing collection of independent eateries, start-ups, social enterprises and as of June 2021, a thriving urban vertical farm: Grow It York.
Grow It York was first brought into reality by Katherine Denby, Professor in Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP) at the University of York, and Tom McKenzie, co-founder of Spark:York. Looking for a route to bring hyper-localised produce to the city centre, the pair decided that container farms could provide the perfect solution for not only a research facility that looks to improve the nutritional benefits of the produce, but a fully functioning food production system to supply and benefit the wider community.
The farm itself forms part of the FixOurFood programme, a leading food systems research collaboration led by the University of York. The study aims to examine ways in which we can create food systems which bring positive economic, social and environmental benefits by utilising hybrid business models, regenerative farming methods and providing sustainable and healthy food for children across Yorkshire.
“The key questions we want to answer are “How can these vertical farms best fit into food systems?” We’re really interested in this urban setting, & when we’ve been talking to schools and kids who are interested in the climate, food & the environment, they can’t always access healthy food. We really want to look at how we can best use these farms to make a positive impact.”
- Katherine Denby, Professor in CNAP at the University of York
Want not, waste not
Being the only container farm in the city centre currently, Katherine and FixOurFood Research Associate Alana Kluczkovski are very much learning by doing. With a host of cafes, restaurants and shops within throwing distance of the farm, this location provides the team the ultimate litmus test in how urban vertical farms can best supply the local area.
The farm operates using a dynamic model for growing produce, so instead of using the traditional system of growing the maximum yield possible, they only grow and harvest what the businesses need. The benefits of this are three fold:
1. No wastage: Controlled growing conditions and shorter growing periods of crops means that all the produce is used throughout the year, and crop spoilage is limited.
2. Use of non-arable land: Growing and harvesting crops in areas not traditionally used for farming, means no more land is taken away for agriculture.
3. Reduced transport: With the produce travelling metres instead of miles, the surrounding businesses and customers can experience eating the freshest crops possible.
“We have one restaurant where we are growing half a tray of kale & half a tray of red cabbage because this is what they use per week. They don’t use more than this. This is not usually seen in farms, & with these new relationships we’re trying to understand how this kind of farm can play a role in changing the food systems.”
Photo credit: SHORI York
Hyper-local & fresher than fresh
Microgreens aren’t the only produce on the menu either. Twice a week the independent food bank and zero-waste supermarket The General Store opens its doors to the public, serving up locally produced grocery items to those in the community who are struggling with food security. Alana is able to supply leafy green salad items such as pea shoots, as well as coriander and parsley, with a focus on producing nutrient rich items to help deliver healthy diets.
The team aims to focus more on providing these nutrient-rich greens to those who struggle with access as well as expanding to other businesses in the area, with this forming a key element of the FixOurFood programme.
"As a chef it's very important to know where your produce comes from. To have the source right next to you is just something that you'd never normally get & it's fantastic. Every time we get our produce it's super fresh. There is this extra layer of flavour to it because it's so fresh. You can almost taste the element of green to it because it's just finished growing."
- Danny Victory, Chef at SHORI York
An open door for learning
Bringing working farms to city centres provides access to freshly grown produce that many urban areas tend to lack, often resulting in a disconnect between consumed food and how it was grown. Grow It York provides an opportunity to reach and enrich areas where the community can become an active part of the food production network, and reap the benefits at the same time.
Visitors to the container site can gaze through the farm windows and doors to watch the crops flourish, and schools from the area have the opportunity to learn from Katherine and Alana about our current food system, how vertical farms can help provide a solution to some of the issues we’re faced with today and can even have a go at harvesting the produce themselves to take home. The FixOurFood team are working with students from schools across Yorkshire empowering them to be drivers for change in their community and help deliver tasty, high quality and sustainable food in schools.
“Students love the farm - I think because it’s a bit different. With the aeroponics the fact that you can see the roots growing, how different plants have different root structures & colours it gives you a greater appreciation of it. It’s much more visible & visual.”
From Grow It York, to Grow It North
With being one of the first of its kind, the research and produce grown at Grow It York will supply the team at FixOurFood key data on how to replicate successful business models that bring economic, environmental and social good to urban communities. Once established, the Grow It York business model could be replicated across Yorkshire, with sites in Leeds, Bradford and Liverpool being considered.
Creating a business model for economic growth would provide the framework for commercial success, but it’s the social benefits the team feel will bring the greatest measure of the container farms overall success - being able to reach and engage with local communities, discover new ways to encourage vegetable consumption and improve healthy eating habits.
Here at LettUs Grow, we are excited to be collaborating on this research into the social benefits of container farms, and look forward to supporting the progress of this unique and innovative enterprise as the project scales up.
“Looking at the nutrition side, obviously we won't fix the problem by only eating leafy crops, but we want to understand how we can work with other farms to tackle this problem, especially with communities in disadvantaged areas. Putting the farms where we have food deserts & working with communities, training them to work in the farm as well or growing crops for them.”
- Alana Kluczkovski, Research Associate for the FixOurFood programme
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