Breeding Freshness With Hydroponic Technology

Local. Fresher. More sustainable. These are some of the demands from customers, having an ever-increasing importance on what they’re purchasing at the grocery store. As someone who was in the horticulture industry for a number of years, I’ve seen firsthand how hydroponic technologies can answer many of these calls.

Hydroponics, or the growing of plants without soil in a controlled environment, can promise fresh produce 365 days a year. In any part of the country, truly local produce becomes an option, cutting down on transportation times and reaching the grocer in a fresher state. Eliminating outside factors, farmers can grow everything from tomatoes to strawberries to leafy greens without pesticides or herbicides, using 95%-plus less water and with a much lower risk of foodborne illness. In a world where food recalls increased 10% between 2013 and 2018 — according to the nonpartisan Public Interest Research Group — this sounds like a promising technology. […]

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