La Caverne, Paris' first underground urban farm

La Caverne is the name of the capital's first organic underground farm! Located beneath a 300-unit social housing block in a derelict site. La Caverne offers a real diversity of production and agronomic approaches to develop a new type of agriculture: underground permaculture!

This original new 3,500 m2 farm will produce 150 tonnes of organic chicory and 40 tonnes of organic mushrooms a year, which will then be marketed in the neighborhood by the young company Cycloponics, notably at the " Bonne tambouille " market on Place Pierre Mac Orlan. 10 full-time jobs have been created thanks to this project, 80% of them filled by local residents.

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Paris is more intent than ever on developing urban agriculture. By 2020, the capital will have 100 hectares of green roofs, facades and walls, a third of which will be dedicated to urban agriculture. To achieve this, Anne Hidalgo and her deputy Pénélope Komitès launched the Parisculteurs call for projects in 2016, which was successfully renewed in 2017, enabling the cultivation of 75 sites across the capital. La Caverne is one of the projects brought to fruition and will be inaugurated by the mayor's office this Saturday, April 14.

Curious about the concept? You can also take part in a tasting tour. Come and discover these basements, where the smell of parking lots has given way to the scent of the undergrowth! Discover how these oyster mushrooms, shiitakes, micro-pods and soon endives, button mushrooms... are grown. You'll discover how each variety is grown, its needs and the stages of production. You'll learn about cave gardening and how this organic, underground Parisian farm came into being! The tour ends with a tasting of microgreens (selection subject to availability) to discover their varied flavors: radish, broccoli, watercress, rocket, leek, mustard.... You'll even leave with a surprise gift!