Growing Produce Year Round with Hydroponic Systems

If you’ve been to our Milwaukee or Appleton food banks recently, you may have spotted our hydroponic systems from Fork Farms. These innovative machines are volunteer run and grow produce that is shared with local pantries and shelters right here in eastern Wisconsin. 

But what is hydroponics exactly? Hydroponics is the practice of growing plants without soil. Growing hydroponically provides complete control over nutrient balance, increasing growing productivity, quality, and taste. Liquid nutrients enable the plants to spend less time extracting food from the soil and more time growing delicious leaves and fruit.

These machines have a variety of advantages, including the ability to grow plants indoors all year round, minimizing plant exposure to environmental damage, disease, and chemicals. The cost associated with hydroponic systems is less than $1 per pound grown. Hydroponic systems grow 20 pounds of leafy greens every 28-day plant cycle, creating 3,400 plants every year.

Learn about how one of our member pantries, South Wood Emerging Pantry Shelf (SWEPS), has been growing lettuce, basil, and herbs for 70 – 80 families each week with the help of their own hydroponic systems in this previous blog.