Bristol company to teach prisoners indoor urban farming

Added on 28 August 2022

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A small company in Brislington is going to teach UK prisoners all about indoor farming as part of a new Government-backed trial. Lettus Grow, on Chapel Way, said it is hoping to "empower" inmates by training them with new skills that will help reintegrate them back into society.

The company was founded by University of Bristol graduates Charlie Guy, Ben Crowther and Jack Farmer in 2015 - and has developed a so-called 'vertical' system to grow produce, such as lettuce, indoors. Instead of using soil, plant roots are suspended in a nutrient-dense mist, which results in faster growth rates and a 95 per cent reduction in water usage compared to open-field farming.

Lettus Grow, which secured Ł2.3m in 2020 to develop its game-changing tech, will be introducing its high-tech farming methods to HM Prison Hewell in Worcestershire as part of the trial. Inmates will be introduced to indoor farming practices and will be trained in horticulture, with the aim of helping them secure full-time employment on release from prison.

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