OneFarm unveils plans for its first UK vertical farm installation

Added on 10 May 2022

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OneFarm unveils plans for its first UK vertical farm installation

Sustainable food producer OneFarm has announced its plans to deliver a 6,400m2 vertical farm in Newmarket, Suffolk, capable of growing up to 415 tonnes of food per annum to feed local people. The farm will be delivered in partnership with indoor agritech specialist, IGS Limited, and is funded by both public and private investors.

OneFarm will work alongside Suffolk County Council (SCC) and New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (NALEP) to deliver the indoor farm, construction of which is scheduled to commence later this year, with funds raised through Abundance Investment*. The farm will play a significant role in the LEP's development of its 'Clean Growth' ambitions for the region.

The multi-million-pound investment demonstrates a commitment to agricultural innovation which OneFarm believes will complement and boost the challenged traditional agriculture sector in this region. This first phase of development at Newmarket will deliver up to 6,400m² of growing area in nine-metre-high growth towers, making it the largest vertical farm in the UK. A second phase is proposed to increase the growing area to 13,000 m², increasing capacity to over 1,000 tonnes of crops each year.

The farm is expected to be fully operational in early 2023 as the first of OneFarm's vertical farm hubs across the UK and will be retrofitted into an existing disused warehouse site. OneFarm is committed to producing crops sustainably and in an environment requiring no pesticides or herbicides with a vision to operate up 25 indoor vertical farms in the UK. With an emphasis on produce freshness and optimum quality, the new farm will grow a range of herbs and salads on-demand to avoid waste and unnecessary harvesting, with agreements already in place to supply selected retailers.

OneFarm's senior team has extensive retail, investor crop science and research experience across the agritech and sustainability markets. The company's vision focuses on evolving consumer expectations of high-quality produce, with an emphasis on provenance and a desire for more localised and sustainable supply chains to ensure greater food security for local populations.

A technology partner had to match this vision and have the capacity to evolve and scale in a highly competitive food production and retail market. The ambition, understanding and capability of IGS to evolve its systems in the future was a key differentiator for OneFarm.