Where: 20 Dalston Lane, Hackney, E8
When: Monday – Saturday 11am – 5pm
Website: http://farmlondon.weebly.com/index.html
When you hear the words ‘local’, ‘organically produced’ ‘farm produce’, deepest, darkest. Dalston doesn’t immediately spring to mind. But if you take one derelict building and convert the space carefully into an experiment of urban farming proportions, you’ll be surprised at the results.
Dalston Lane is the home of FARM: Shop, farming fresh food through a community run project in the very heart of Hackney. This old shop has been rejuvenated and raises chickens on the roof, fish in tanks and hydroponic lettuces as well as cultivated mushrooms and much more.
It proves that you don’t need a huge amount of space or money to build something that yields fresh food. The people involved are all volunteers. Community projects like this really give locals a hub from which to find companionship, achieve goals, learn new skills and to grow, just like the lettuces.
FARM is home to a café, shop and events venue. Take a look for yourself at what modern farming looks like in an urban environment.
