With six commercial greenhouses and plans in the future for a seventh, Thanet Earth is a large company with the entire nation at heart. The business was born in 2005 amid a worrying decline in UK-grown salad greens. Growers in Spain and Holland were taking over the market and the local industry was suffering as a result.
Thanet Earth grows all of its plants in closed-loop hydroponic systems, eliminating run-off waste. While the clear rooftops allow for plenty of natural light, British winters call for some extra help and artificial lighting is used as a result.
Each glasshouse is also a power station using Combined Heat and Power generators. This setup provides the electricity to light and heat the entire business and also provides power to the local grid; enough for approximately 50,000 homes!
Reservoirs collect rainwater and condensation produced in the glasshouses, and a UK variety of bumblebee is released into the environment to pollinate the tomatoes. Today, Thanet Earth grows an astounding 400 million tomatoes a year, along with 30 million cucumbers, and 24 million standard and speciality peppers.
The company distributes surplus produce to the larger community and also runs school programmes to help educate youth.
They’ve come a long way since 2005.
Left the faucet running all night? Got pest problems or fluctuating temperatures? Martyna Krol guides us on how to avoid common issues in the grow room.
LED grow lights have come a long way, and so have the growers using them! Alex Fraser offers some tips for switching from HID lights to LEDs in the grow room.
Rainton Farm produces traditional cheese and luxury ice cream in a non-traditional way. The products are made with organic milk from the farm’s own dairy herd, and the calves are kept with their mothers to…
There may not be anyone more passionate about hydroponics than William Texier. Get to know the industry veteran better in this interview by Catherine Sherriffs.
Passionate about the spicy fruit, Plantasia grows dozens of varieties, from the extremely hot Trinidad Scorpion Red and Carolina Reaper to the medium-spiced Purple Cayenne and Thai Dragon.
Pests are a fact of life in the garden, but there are ways to keep them out! Rich Hamilton guides us on how to prevent and treat a spider mite infestation.
Sinead and Adam began growing on a tiny allotment in London before upping their game on a 4.5-acre plot in the countryside.
With six commercial greenhouses and plans in the future for a seventh, Thanet Earth is a large company with the entire nation at heart.
Skyscrapers are empty; COVID-19 has the occupancy rate in city office towers at an all-time low. Albert Mondor explores transforming them into urban farms.
Caroline Rivard is back with another installment in her medicinal weeds series. This time, she looks at the many benefits associated with wild raspberries.
Forget cutting down a Christmas tree or putting up a fake. We’ve got a new holiday tradition for you: eco-friendly potted conifers! Cosmic Knot explains.
Don’t give up on old seeds you have lying around the house. It’s possible to revive them! Cody J. Garrett-Tait has some tips on helping forgotten seeds sprout.
