Vertical Growbag Scheme and field trip to Kenya
Winner of Rodney Huggins RIBI Environmental Project 2010
Rochdale Rotary Club are working with the Council's Environment Department to grow crops vertically, suspended above the ground. They claim the feat, which uses Growbags especially designed by the Rotary Club, is the only project of its kind in the UK. A Declaration to this effect was signed by the District Governor and the Council on Saturday 18th July 2009
Work has now started on the first 'Vertical Farm' in the country and hope to send out their unique Growbags free to schools, the elderly and the disabled, as well for use at allotment trials. Ultimately they hope that their project will pave the way for schemes in countries where water and food are in short supply.
The Rotary Club developed the growbag over a 12 month period. Its design maximises the conservation of water.
A spokesperson for the club said: "With the expert knowledge and help of the council's horticulturists based at Bowlee Nurseries, we intend to be the first people to trial a Vertical Urban Farm. It will be called 'The Babylon Project' - after the Hanging Gardens!
"The advantage of growing vertically is obvious, where urban land is at a premium it makes sense to grow plants on top if one-another, something similar to high rise apartments in city centres."
As an example, a small vegetable patch measuring 75 x 150cm can support 18 runner bean plants. If a 230cm high 'scaffold' is erected over the same patch, the rotary club believes that the use of their invention will help generate five times as many crops.
"The initial simple prototype was developed after much brain storming, made from tubular polythene and the use of a basic heat sealer to keep cost to the minimum," the spokesperson continued.
"Although inexpensive we believe that in the hands of amateur or professional growers it offers a wealth of possibilities to the inventive mind."
You can now buy your grow bags online at www.urbanfarmplanters.co.uk
Donations (with or without gift aid) can be sent to www.justgiving.com/grow-bags
Copy report which appeared on Rochdale Online
Latest news on the project following a fact finding trip to Kenya 2011
If every discarded plastic supermarket carrier bag was used as a hanging container for growing vegetables worldwide food shortage would be eradicated. So say Rochdale Rotarian David Acton and Middleton Rotarian John Brooker rotary international members of a water/horticultural conservation evaluation team who experienced a ‘eureka’ moment on a recent trip to Kenya.
Acton explained that they had taken vertical vegetable growing bags to trial in the semi arid areas of Kenya, within 2 days of arrival they realised that the cost of the product they had taken was more than the poverty stricken African market could afford.
After much brain storming with members of the Kenyan Rotary team and the local rural community development agency staff, it was decided that what is the scourge of the world, used supermarket plastic bags was in fact the answer to universal hunger, that leap of imagination and the worldwide ramifications of using discarded plastic bags to grow food was worthy of an on the spot celebration. (see jpeg image 1195)
The main advantage is that the bags are free and available worldwide. There are supermarkets everywhere albeit of varying sizes, reports David Acton. The completed grow bag takes 5 seconds to make – place one bag inside another for strength, half fill with suitable growing medium, hang it up, punch 2 holes 1”/2cm up from the bottom of the bag, plant seeds or push in a seedling ‘plug’ add water and let nature take its course.
Other advantages over growing traditionally at ground level are: when the bag is hung up it creates a plastic ‘cone’ shape this allows condensation to trickle back down inside the bag into the soil so reducing water loss.
The moisture content can be carefully monitored visually and by a light squeeze of the bag, if it feels turgid (slightly soft) then the soil inside is in perfect condition.
The grower treats the bag like a baby, checking early morning and evening to see if water is required as only the minimum amount of water is used (if water drips from the two holes – stop watering – the drips can be caught in a pan and returned to the top of the bag i.e. no waste water – no ‘run-off’
The bag can be hung in semi shade (under the eaves of a building or under the canopy of trees) where a cool environment exists whilst the plant can reach out and be supported in the warmth of bright sunlight. The soil/compost can be examined for ground borne bugs – weevils, slugs etc before being hung up. Bags can be hung one above the other to maximise yield in a given space.
Where farm yard animal’s donkeys, goats, sheep and chickens cause problems by eating the young plants – the bags can be held above their reach. The advantages stacked up like points in a tennis match. By day three the re- vamped completely free grow bag was ready to be introduced to the Kenyon rural community.
Our team of six members including four Rotarians set of to make presentation in the outlying villages. The response is now history one hundred and forty two ‘trainers’ received making and growing instructions which, they will pass on to another group of trainers.
The ‘hanging’ concept was instantly seen as a way forward, the reaction from the trainers was wonderful, with searching questions asked and problems solved on the spot by local growers’ knowledge.
At the debriefing session at the end of the trip, it was decided that simple ideas are the best and most enduring. David Acton the team spokesman said ‘what idea could be simpler and more environmentally friendly’ He would now like to involve interested growers, both amateur and professional in the UK particularly in ‘urban farm’ situations, to try the growing method and ‘feed back’ their comments. Suitable vegetables are tomatoes, peas, beans, courgettes, peppers, cucumbers and strawberries. (see jpeg image 1212)
The ‘above ground’ concept lends itself to the ‘grow your own’ trend and the austere situation we find ourselves in, it may also prove of value in the emerging “Big Society”
Past President David Acton.