Shockingly Fresh offers a system to deliver high quality produce with predictable costs and minimal energy use, while at the same time producing stable yields.
"We want to help growers produce more salads and vegetables in the UK," explains Martin McAdam, Investment Manager at Shockingly Fresh. "We are developing sites across the UK and abroad and have many which are 'shovel ready'. Our site at Offenham has been operational for four years, producing mainly herbs with trials of whole head lettuce and pak choi. We have a much larger site at Three Oaks which is construction ready."
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"We install high density growing systems, using natural light. The site is in Offenham, in the Vale of Evesham demonstrates how the high density and natural light works, this is large scale but not on a commercial scale. We really believe that this is the way forward, we need to convince investors to develop more sites. The 10 HA sit is 'shovel ready' but we need to raise funds to build it off."
High density farming is different from traditional vertical farming where they use lights, high intensity farming uses the natural light from the sun and according to Martin they have been very successful so far. It also uses 60% less fertilizer and 90% less water and this method has far more growth for the earth space that it uses.
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"The project at Offenham is a really good example of what can be done, people can come and see it, we grow 10 million plants there. You also get a better product when it is not grown in the ground, less risk of e coli, better quality, consistency and continuity. Regulation have also changed over the years, growers have less armoury to fight pests and diseases, also due to climate pressure consistency from open field crops can be poor."
The structures are not heated but a bio mass facility can be built alongside, the only difference when it's heated is that there is more growth over the winter period.
"We consider investment into farming as low risk, we are creating food growth. We need to see food security as a matter of national security, the UK imports 55% of its leafy veg during the summer and 95% in the wintertime.
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Less planning resistance
Shockingly Fresh has a new way of thinking and in light of planning opposition in the UK they choose more built-up areas where councils support them. "I came from an energy environment, wind farms, so we are used to selecting sites where we expect there to be less resistance to planning. We look for sites which are near distribution centres, which is great for getting the product to the markets, we need to be transparent to keep on developing. Our aim is ensure a stable food prices, this also means jobs. We need to get the balance right.
"In light of the conflict in the Middle East which has seen shipping and fertilizer costs skyrocket in the last few weeks, which will have a massive effect on the UK's food Security, we need to encourage more investment in this type of production to keep fresh produce on the shelves, while also creating employment in the sector."
For more information:
Martin McAdams
Shockingly Fresh
[email protected]
