During October, passengers at the Sangdo subway station in Seoul met with an amazing sight: a fully functioning farm that grows lettuce, shoots and greens.

This underground farm is independent of soil and sunlight, but uses special LED lighting, hydroponic trays and an intelligent network that controls factors such as temperature, humidity, CO2 level and light intensity.

The project is called Metro Farm, and the Sangdo district is the first of five metro farms to be opened by the end of the year as part of a partnership between the Seoul metropolitan government and the South Korean agricultural company Farm8. Sangdo Farm started operating in late October, and a second branch has recently opened at Dapsimni Station.

“As South Korea is aging and the rural population is declining rapidly, this is the future direction of agriculture,” said Kim Sung Yun, senior manager at Farm8. “These farms take up less space and take less time to grow vegetables.”

Lettuce is grown on vertical shelves in the main room, in a brightly lit glass room, into which you must pass through the air lock.

The growing time in this hydroponic system is reduced: it takes about 38 days to grow lettuce from seeds to harvest, and more than 50 days in soil. The farm also absorbs CO2 and pumps out oxygen, which helps to improve air quality at the metro station.

The smaller space nearby contains a fully automated robotic farm that grows seedlings and micrograins, and Farm Cafe sells salads made from plants on Metro.

The station also houses an experimental center that offers tours and interactive farm demonstrations for families and schools. According to Kim, to maintain farms in all 5 metro points, only 3 employees are required, and these positions are held by pensioners and people with disabilities.