Hydroponics

A few of our greenhouses here on the farm are dedicated to hydroponic growing practices. We use NFT(nutrient filled technique) for our hydroponics. We add a mix of essential nutrients to the water used to feed our plant roots. An automated system constantly monitors the pH levels in the water and will adjust the amount nutrients needed to maintain a balanced system. Click here for a video.

Automated monitoring system

Drum of mixed essential nutrients

The seedlings sit in a bed of constantly flowing water. This constant flow ensures algae and other fungus will not grow. The pH of this water must remain at a level of 5.6.

 The seeds are placed in a porous tray and set in a trough. On the left you can see the seeds beginning to crack and open up. On the right they begin to sprout. The trough has a constant stream of water running through it.

On the right you can see the roots beginning to reach out from the porous tray. When these seedlings are between 20-30 days old, they are transferred. Once, transferred, new seeds are planted to take their place. The seedlings are transferred to a white tray that suspends the plants over another constant flow of water. The plants will stay in this tray until they are fully grown and ready to be harvested. Once harvested, the newest seedlings are transferred and so on. This process will continue all season.

Here you can see the roots that are supplied with nutrients by the constantly flowing water. The water is fed into the tray by small white tubes. The roots are underneath the tray while the leaves grow out of the top. Hydroponic lettuce is pictured above and below.

The are many benefits to hydroponic farming that make it a great addition to our farm.

1. Extended growing season:
     Due to the ground being frozen from Nov-March, hydroponic growing allows us to plant crops earlier and later in the season that otherwise we could not plant in the ground. This allows us to offer customers a wide variety of produce options, even in the colder months when some crops are difficult to grow outside.

2. Climate Control:
     By having hydroponic crops in the greenhouses we can control the climate. This is especially handy in the early months when weather can be unpredictable in deciding when we can begin planting. If it is an usually cold season we can ensure we have options for our customers to choose from. Even during the main season climate control is an added benefit. Rain and heat can become excessive at times but inside we can control how much water and heat our plants get.

3. Faster Growth Rate
     Plants growing hydroponically have a 30-50% faster growth rate than our crops outside. This allows for less time between plantings that we would be without a certain crop.

4. Higher crop yield
     Due to the fact that the plants are off the ground and inside, out of the elements, allows for them to yield more fruit. We are not losing a significant amount of product to insects, fungus, and disease. All these factors are much more easily maintained in hydroponic farming.

5. Healthier plants
     As stated previously, our hydroponic plantings are less susceptible to insects and disease than some of field crops. Also, they maintain the nutrients from the water better than our field crops. If we have a heavy rain, much of those nutrients are lost in the runoff. In hydroponics, all those nutrients go straight to the roots, with none being lost.