As part of the Urban & Local project, a circular economy hydroponics system was implemented in collaboration with the Tampere-based company Blokgarden Oy. Edible plants grew in the window recess of Restaurant Perho’s dining hall from February 1 to March 31, 2025, using the PlantSteps hydroponic system. In this system, plants receive nutrients from compost extract carried by continuously flowing water, allowing for rapid growth.

The plant nutrients came from our compost soil, from which our partner Metropolia’s Urban Farm Lab extracted a fertilizer suitable for hydroponics. With the compost-based nutrients, the plants’ primary nutrients—nitrogen and phosphorus—were returned to the nutrient cycle and functioned as organic fertilizers in indoor cultivation.

As a space-efficient method for growing edible plants, circular economy hydroponics is best suited for lettuces, herbs, and flowers. Flowers were harvested from the hydroponic system for decoration, seasoning, and beverages.

The collaboration with Blokgarden began through gardener Niilo Gustaffson, who studied in our agriculinary training program. Niilo and his partners installed the PlantSteps cultivation system in the restaurant’s dining hall.

Niilo has worked at the Kaleva Urban Cultivation Culture Center in Tampere, where people are guided in starting urban farming and self-sufficiency, and are taught to understand the role and place of plant and animal species in the food chain—with the goal of preserving biodiversity.