Farming Today - 18/01/2010

Multi-storey growing could be the future of farming in UK towns and cities. Europe's first vertical farm is being piloted at Paignton zoo in Devon. In Kevin Frediani's farm, 11,000 plants are growing in trays stacked three metres high while rotating around the glasshouse. If the pilot's a success, this could open up the way for schools, hospitals and housing estates in cities and towns to grow their own vegetables. Also, the number of rats in the UK is on the rise by around 15 per cent a year. As rats become resistant to some poisons, farmers are being warned that they risk killing wildlife if they're not careful.