Have seeds, will grow

Urban farming is catching on in a big way, with more and more people becoming aware of the need to use city spaces to grow food and make the planet cleaner

Brian O’Connell, managing director of Westpark Shannon Business Campus in Shannon, pictured with some hydroponics, which is a method of growing plants without soil by using mineral nutrient solutions in a water solvent Sean Curtin True Media

It might be home to more than 50 global and indigenous companies, including the world’s top two aircraft leasing firms, but Westpark Business Park in Shannon, Co Clare is also ahead of the crowd in a surprising way.

The high-tech buildings, which accommodate more than 2,000 staff, are set among 40 acres of landscaped grounds; and while outdoor foliage comprising fruit bushes and raised beds may seem incongruous to some, it is the ...