A former parking garage converted into a farm of the future? This is the ambitious project of the Fuyet brothers, who have just installed their urban farm Champerché in an underground car park in Sartrouville (Yvelines). Nearly 150 types of fruit and vegetables are grown above ground in bioponics on an area of 1,300 m2. The goal of this gigantic agricultural laboratory: to contribute to food self-sufficiency.
It took a year to renovate this former 1,300 m2 car park in Sartrouville (Yvelines). In January 2022, the urban farm of Champerché officially established its quarters in this atypical place to carry out its mission: to grow fruits and vegetables in bioponics, as reported Actu.fr† This method indicates an aboveground cultivation, on an inert substrate, of plants that will benefit from nutritional contributions via a solution of water and mineral salts applied drop by drop. The water is then recovered and reused in a closed circuit using gutters, reducing water costs by 90%.
The parking lot taken over by Agritech has been abandoned for about ten years and now has a futuristic-looking interior. Hundreds of plants grow on columns, where they are illuminated by energy-efficient LEDs. The production, without GMOs or pesticides, is carried out continuously all year round. “We are the only ones in the world to industrialize bioponics, with 216 times more yield than open field cultivation”says Antoine Fuyet, creator of the Champerché farm, interviewed by Actu.fr†
“Our vision is food self-sufficiency around the world”
Cr’s ambitious project follows a first urban farm prototype installed by Champerché in Paris in 2019. Installed on an area of 42 m2, it produces and sells fruits, vegetables and herbs to the residents and merchants of the area. † Driven by unexpected success and growth, the company led by Antoine Fuyet and his brothers has therefore decided to think bigger thanks to its new premises in Sartrouville.
In addition to producing quantities of fruits and vegetables at a steady and continuous pace, this new urban farm also serves as a gigantic agricultural laboratory. No fewer than 78 different parameters, related to light, fertilizer or climate, are tested on crops to find optimal combinations for each product, reports Actu.fr†
The urban farm is also working on ways to reduce energy consumption. “Our vision is food self-sufficiency around the world, at the local level, with prices accessible to all and the lowest possible impact on the environment”says Antoine Fuyet.
Restaurateurs, AMAPs and large and medium-sized supermarkets in the Ile-de-France region will soon be able to stock up on vegetables, fruit and herbs from the new Champerché farm. The project has also enabled the creation of 20 permanent jobs, Agritech said.
To find out more about this innovative project, you can consult the Champerché website by clicking here.