Tucked away on Alexandra Park is the Green Lancaster ECOHub, a secluded 4000m² nature-based garden on South West Campus, with a focus on sustainable agricultural production.

The ECOHub has a thriving volunteer community. Edible Campus, the team behind the running of the crop planning and organic garden on site, who have been growing a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables for many years. Boasting some 40 raised planting beds, a fruit tree orchard, soft fruits, rescue chicken enclosure and bee hives, the hub attracts many groups and societies.

The site is constantly evolving and one new feature is the greenhouse, approximately 15 m². The greenhouse allows the sowing of seeds to start earlier compared to the polytunnel, and thanks to the heat mats and propagators, Mediterranean crops such as tomatoes, peppers, aubergines and chillies have the perfect environment and protection to germinate and grow healthy and strong. This is an upgrade on the polytunnel, as the greenhouse has an electrical supply for the heat mats. Moreover, glass has a higher heat retention which allows the environment to be kept warmer for longer.

The greenhouse was funded by the SOS-UK ‘Student Eats’ programme. The Edible Campus society, based at the ECOHub, has been a member of the ‘Student Eats’ network since its launch back in 2013 and has continued to collaborate with this national programme ever since. The greenhouse floor has been made with reclaimed paving slabs from a construction compound on campus. Lancaster University (Facilities) kindly installed the electrical supply to provide the much welcome boost to the growing season.

The greenhouse allows the team to extend the vegetation period, which combined with the polytunnel is going to generate significant extra growing space for sensitive crops.

This is a great asset for Green Lancaster and the ECOhub, especially now that the University has declared a Climate Emergency. The greenhouse will increase the ECOHub productivity and even produce exotic crops without the impact associated with the food miles of imported crops.

Throughout the challenges of the last year, produce from the ECOHub has been delivered and sold at the Students’ Union supermarket “Central” and the volunteers have also coordinated a “veggie box” scheme (open to the local community as well).

The goal of the ECOHub is to produce local, healthy, organic produce all year around, with a “0 food miles” distribution focus.

Green Lancaster is the collaborative sustainability programme of Lancaster University and Lancaster University Students’ Union.

Article by Marta Cattin, Green Lancaster ECOHub Projects Supervisor.