Hydroponics Yield Planet-Positive Produce
Hydroponics Yield Planet-Positive Produce
Hydroponic farms operate largely indoors, where they aren't affected by climate concerns. As such, plants may be cultivated almost anywhere, practically year-round. Key growth elements like nutrient levels, the amount and type of light, and pH are also better controlled, which contribute to less plant loss. The adaptability of hydroponic systems also allows plants to thrive with less land, water, pesticides and fuel without sacrificing yield.
Less Land
Most hydroponic systems use vertical farming methods, growing and stacking plants closer together in towers rather than traditional soil-based fields, resulting in higher yields in smaller areas.
Less Water
Traditional crops receive nutrients from soil; hydroponic crops receive nutrients from nutrient-fortified water. In a hydroponic system, water is continuously captured and reused rather than allowed to run off or drain into the environment. In this way, hydroponic crops need as much as 10 times less water than traditional outdoor field crops, where water is sprayed over plants and potentially lost to evaporation or runoff.
Less Pesticides
While they don't require soil, some hydroponic systems use a growing medium to support plant roots and allow for improved water absorption. (A shredded, fibrous product made from coconut husks is one such growing medium.) In aeroponics, a subset of hydroponics, roots are suspended in air and misted with nutrient-rich water. With the absence of soil, hydroponic farmers generally don't have to concern themselves with the pests present in outdoor farms and in their soils, meaning they usually don't require any pesticides.
Less Fuel
With less land use and more climate flexibility, farmers can grow food closer to their end consumers. Accordingly, hydroponic crops use fewer transportation miles and, therefore, generate less vehicle-produced emissions to get their food to the people who buy it.
Look for these Minnesota Grown hydroponic choices in the Produce Department:
- Bushel Boy Farms Tomatoes (from Owatonna, MN)
- Revol Greens Salad Greens (from Owatonna, MN)
- Urban Greens Herbs (Columbia Heights, MN)
Good Question
How is the Regenerative Organic certification different from the USDA Organic certification?
Regenerative Organic certification is overseen by the Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA), a nonprofit that uses the USDA Certified Organic standard as a baseline. From there, ROA adds important criteria and benchmarks for regenerating soil health, sustaining animal welfare and producing social fairness. Regenerative organic agriculture aims to meet these criteria through practices like cover cropping, crop rotation, minimal soil disturbance, composting, and rejection of chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
Research has also shown that even traditional organic farms tend to have more fertile soil, more biodiversity, use less energy, and produce fewer carbon emissions and hazardous chemical runoff than non-organic farms. Both Organics and Regenerative Organics alike are great choices to support the health of the planet.
