PC: Swansea University
A West Wales couple turned a small investment into a profitable indoor farming business after spending less than £2,000 on shelves, seeds and trays. They started the business in 2021 after researching the market for microgreens and deciding to grow their own crops. Toni and Alex Borella started Green Up Farm in 2021 after researching the microgreens market. Their initial spending was less than £2,000, used to buy shelves, seeds and trays. As of 2024, Green Up Farm supplied directly to most mid to high end establishments in West Wales.
Because of its approach, toni said many customers chose the business.
Toni said communication and consistency were key to the business, particularly when supplies changed. Toni and Alex Borella own and operate Green Up Farm, a hydroponic indoor vertical farm in Ceredigion. The couple had wanted to start a business and were interested in growing their own crops. They found that microgreens were a large business in the United States before deciding to take the plunge. The farm is based in Ceredigion and uses hydroponic indoor vertical farming. Its first client was Crwst, a company in Cardigan where Alex worked at the time. Its customers included The Nags Head in Abercych, Yr Hens Printworks and Boys and Girls in Cardigan. Social media also influenced what customers want. One week they might ask for coriander and the next for fennel, making it important for the farm to keep up. The business also offered harvest boxes to local customers with small kitchens. Customers return packaging after use, which the couple hygienically clean and reuse.
Co-owner Toni Borella said the farm wanted a better understanding of the circular economy, particularly the use of plastics. Green Up Farm’s connection with Swansea University’s ARCS team centred on learning how to make its business more sustainable. The collaboration was expected to provide fact-checking and guidance as the business considered its choices, including plans to introduce a tray made from recycled PET (r-PET). Borella also wanted help communicating circular-economy ideas clearly to customers and social media followers. The farm already reused its packaging by collecting it from customers, cleaning it and using it again. Through the partnership, Green Up Farm hoped to assess whether new materials would genuinely improve its environmental impact while supporting sound business decisions in future.