Sustainability
All of the water used in our hydroponic system is recycled hundreds of times over.  Water flows over the
roots of the plants then into a reservoir where it is aerated and sent back to the plants again.  We use
closed channels, so very little water is lost to evaporation.  Variable dependant, up to an estimated 1/6
of the water is required to grow hydroponically compared to field crops.
Water
Soil
No soil is used.  This means no soil erosion, no soil tilling, and no petroleum-based fertilizers to leach
into the water system.  
Land
On the low end, we produce more than 40,000 heads of lettuce (and other produce) per year in the
space of a small home.  
Public Health
No animal based fertilizers are used which means no potential health risks from fecal matter.  Only
minerals are added to purified water.
Disease
Management
Hydroponics is not immune to diseases, however, soil is home to many bacteria that can be harmful to
plant health.  Eliminating soil contact greatly lowers the chance of diseases, and increases the overall
health of the plants.
Petroleum Use
Prior to 2011, we used gas to heat the greenhouse, but have switched to heating solely with wood stoves.
Responsible Energy Use
In the summer of 2012, we added an evaporational cooler to the east end of the greenhouse.  It operates
by using waste-water from the reverse osmosis system, which drips down over tightly-coiled wood
shavings -- essentially, a "wall of water" -- as the exhaust fans pull outside air through the wall of water,
the air is cooled naturally, allowing us to decrease the temperature even further.
In the winter, we heat using wood stoves and fans that help circulate the warmed air throughout the
greenhouses.  We also use foam insulation around the bottom of the greenhouse to help contain heat.
Subsurface insulation around the perimeter of the greenhouse also lowers heat loss from the reservoirs
and floor.  Lighting is used to supplement only under low light conditions.
From time to time, we get questions about the environmental effects of hydroponic growing.  This page
is meant to answer some of those frequently-asked questions.
We want our customers to feel confident in our commitment to
continuing sustainability.  We have made strides every single
year to lessen our impact on the earth.  We continue to
research and implement environmentally-friendly solutions to
growing healthy, local veggies.