We set up our urban farm in Paris
‘Our team recently won a contest here in Paris. It was a big urban agriculture competition called Parisculteurs where the different teams had to propose projects and they chose ours to be the winner. We won the right to set up an urban farm in a 3000 m² underground parking (no sunlight). The general idea is to grow vertically three types of things: microgreens (hydroponically), leafy greens (innovative method in soil), and oyster mushroom (using recycled coffee wastes). We are elaborating an innovative method to grow all of these together. For example: the CO2 rejected by mushroom is used for plant production.
Because the underground parking is quite big and we won't be able to install it in one time, we offer to other projectleaders (association, startups) the possibility to test their prototype in our facilities. It's kind of an incubator for urban agriculture projects.
Regarding the advantages for people: we believe there is a strong demand for local and healthy food in Paris and in cities all over the world, so we are responding to it by providing food but also local jobs. We financed this project ourselves. We also hope to get subsidies from the government and if this is not enough we will search for private investors.
The lecturing staff of Aeres University of Applied Sciences assist me a lot; they provide me some feedbacks and usefull ressources. I hope to see this collaboration go further. Our ambition now is to make this site work and then, expand the concept wherever possible.’
Aeres University of Applied Sciences
6th of December 2016