In February 2014, Seattle Entrepreneur and UrbanHarvest farm manager, Chris Bajuk, started his mission to feed the hungry with hydroponic food. Seattle’s Millionare Club charity basement is now in full scale produce production. He donates the edible garden produce to charity and sells it to local restaurants. He envisions a sustainable model to keep growing, and he hopes that this trend will also spread to many more urban areas.
Hydroponic gardening is very simple, and it’s something that we can all do. The “ebb and flow” method involves plant roots floating or anchoring to any medium in the water which contains a supply of nitrogen, potassium, and calcium at the right concentrations. This water must stay in motion and be recycled to provide a constant supply of the nutrients. Its a great system, and if you can absorb the start up costs for the equipment, then it will pay for itself very quickly. It does not waste water, nor does it rely on soils.
On the downside, hydroponic systems will fail, if certain factors are removed from the equation. Water must be pumped through the system or pumped to a place where gravity can do its work, or the plants can’t absorb the constant supply of fresh nutrients. If the system exists in a basement, like the edible garden in Seattle, then energy must be supplied to high intensity discharge lights. Under ideal conditions, HID lights could be powered by solar panels.
More people would choose hydroponic gardens if they had the capital and the know how. If more people figure out ways to start sooner, humanity will take a step in the right directon. As the price of land continues to rise, the climate changes, and the world population increases, future generations will count on hydroponic plants for their source of food.
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