Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Correspondent
Ireland s network of disused mushroom houses could be the ideal infrastructure to develop a hydroponic farm system which could in turn reduce our dependence on imports of herbs, salads and small greens.
Hydroponic farming uses water rather than soil to grow plants.
It uses much less water than conventional growing, a tiny amount of space and is immune from adverse weather conditions because it is indoors.
One farm in Tipperary has started the transition. Near Ballyporeen, one of eight mushroom tunnels is now converted into a vertical farm.
Brian O’Reilly had been growing mushrooms for almost two decades, but tight margins and an anxiety over the potential impact of Brexit made him change course.