Two entrepreneurs Richard Ballard and Steven Dring have set up a 2.5 acre crop farm below the Northern Line, near Clapham North in London. 
 
 The first test garden, which has been up and running for a few months as part of a commercial project called Growing Underground, backed by television chef Michel Roux junior. 
 
 The “farm” itself consists of table-height beds of hemp in which salads and herbs are being grown hydroponically. That means nutrient-rich water floods the beds once a day before being slowly drained away, with no soil involved in the process. Above each bed are strips of special low energy LED lights. 
 
 They use special low energy LED bulbs and an integrated hydroponics system to grow a range of micro-herbs, shoots, miniature vegetables and other delicacies to be sold to restaurants, supermarkets and wholesalers 
 
 The advantage of being underground is it is insulated, so the temperature can be kept stable and the rent is considerably less than if they used on a normal warehouse in central London. 
 
 The pair plan to grow a range of herbs, shoots, vegetables to sell to restaurants. ||||| We prioritize sustainable growing practices, and are working towards carbon neutral certification. Our hydroponics system uses 70% less water than traditional open-field farming, and all nutrients are kept within the closed-loop system removing any risk of agricultural run-off. Since we’re limiting food miles and keeping our produce local, our leaves can be in your kitchen within 4 hours of being picked and packed. Currently we are providing to wholesalers, local restaurants, and Londoners through Farmdrop, and you’ll be able to find us in the retail market soon.
– A pair of Londoners have taken up farming in the city—about 100 feet underground. Their business, supported by TV chef Michel Roux Jr., uses a former air raid shelter from World War II as a place to grow vegetables and herbs. The project, called Growing Underground, spreads across about 2.5 acres under the London Underground, the Telegraph reports. The plants are grown under LED lights using hydroponics, which provides nutrients in water, Mashable explains. The company's goal is eco-friendliness: Growing Underground's website says it has "zero effect on the environment." The underground system uses 70% less water than a typical farm, the company says, noting that it doesn't use pesticides—since "there are no pests living this far underground." The carbon-neutral operation is right in the city, so products can go from farm to your plate within eight hours, the firm notes. And the food is available year-round. Growing Underground is currently aiming to raise some $490,000 for its effort via CrowdCube, Mashable notes. (On the other side of the pond, Vermont researchers are trying to revolutionize the way we make maple syrup.)