One of the largest vertical farming facilities in Europe is being built in Bedford - with new jobs up for grabs

Farming company Infarm has signed a contract for a new vertical farming facility in Bedford - and it will be one of the largest in Europe.

The Growing Centre - which is currently being built in Total Park, Edison Road - will measure 9,760 sqm in size, offering more than 5500 sqm of growing space in Infarm’s cloud-connected farming units.

Work started on the space age centre last month and is on track for its first harvest by the end of the year.

For the uninitiated, vertical farming is the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers.

The main advantage is the increased crop yield that comes with a smaller unit area of land needed compared with traditional farming methods.

What's more, you've probably already been noshing on Infarm’s selection as the company's herbs and leafy greens are already found at Whole Foods Market, Selfridges, Marks & Spencer, Fortnum & Mason and Budgens as well at online retailers Weezy and Farmdrop.

When fully equipped, the units at the Bedford facility - which is currently hiring - will be able to produce up to 18 million plants per year and generate the crop equivalent of 360,000 sqm of farmland.

Pentadel Project Management, appointed by Infarm to select a site as well as design and manage its construction, has integrated rainwater harvesting into the design of the new facility - which is expected to capture a further 2.5 million litres of water per year.

Jeremy Byfleet, UK country director at Infarm, which already has another operation in London, said: “We have already opened up new positions for our locations in London and Bedford and will continue to do so as we expand our Bedford operation."