underground food production

[PreppingPingu]

Underground food production is the link to an article I just read on MSN. An interesting project given potential food shortages. Of course, flooding could be an issue in some areas! From a personal prepping point of view, I wonder if the average joe can incorporate this idea? If you have a cellar maybe, or if you have space and money to dig down on your property, you could create an underground room. Park a shed on top for access and to hide the steps down. You can still plant above ground too, just that you'd have 2 layers of food production, one hidden, and one in plain sight. Of course building your own underground place is costly and possibly attracts unwanted attention. I'd like to see new houses being built with cellars again - (providing you were high enough above the water table that is!) -just like in Victorian times when a lot of houses had cellars. They offer protection in storms, extra storage and space, especially as houses seem to have small footprints these days, the extra level down would give more room.

[preppingsu]

I think this would be a great idea if it could be done on a bigger scale. It would mean fresh food produced despite the weather and without the need to import.

However, this venture is purely to cater to the expensive restaurants in London!

This is their website

http://www.zerocarbonfood.co.uk/

I hope this is something that could take off outside the M25 boundary.

[grenfell]

Yes a good idea but totally dependant on electricity to provide the light needed for the plants unless the crop is fungi I suppose . LEDs can be efficient but sunlight is free. Why not turn the whole thing upside down and put the gardens on top of the house ( ok I do know that would involve stronger structural flat roofs) or maybe combine the underground growing area with some sort of light transmission tubes. I've seen small versions of these tubes to carry light to illuminate stairwells and such so the concept could work. Of course as one of the comments on the link says it would be great for those growing illegal drugs.
But , a bigger problem I can see is to actually get people to use such spaces for growing food.I work as a gardener in the summer and as such visit a fair few gardens and get to look over far more neighbours gardens. The proportion of gardens with anything edible ( other than a handful of herbs) growing in it is really quite low. People would rather cover their gardens in decking and gravel than potatoes and cabbages.

[preppingsu]

The proportion of gardens with anything edible ( other than a handful of herbs) growing in it is really quite low. People would rather cover their gardens in decking and gravel than potatoes and cabbages.

With the way the farmland is at the moment there will need to be a return to growing your own, in much the same way as The Dig for Victory campaign during WW2. However, it will take a bomb up the backside of the powers that be to acknowledge that's what we need to do, as well as up those of the general public.

[grenfell]

I agree that some sort of return to growing ones own is what is required but as you say the general public are apathetic about it, and being of a cynical nature I reckon the government won't push the agenda either. If everyone grew their own or at least some of their own that would only reduce the profits of the likes of tesco . Best to keep us all vassals of big business or should that be ( quite pleased , I've not used the tin foil hat before )