I discussed hydroponic farming’s potential in an earlier post, and wanted to start talking with you about the potential to add hydroponic operations to your existing farm. One story that caught my eye earlier this year concerns this Florida operation, a small organic hydroponic farm operating profitably on just two acres in an industrial area.

Most existing farmers aren’t set up to replicate Urban Oasis – the last thing a farmer needs is a daily commute to an industrial zone to manage the hydroponic operation! But the folks at Urban Oasis have hit on a model that I think many existing farmers can adapt for their own farms, creating a new revenue stream and attracting new customers to a farm without having to convert operations. Urban Oasis uses a self-picking model, which keeps labor costs very low. They also specialize in the types of fresh produce that their urban market enjoys but finds too expensive or too hard to find at supermarkets.

Because hydroponic farming does not use soil, it doesn’t matter what the land underlying a hydroponic farm looks like. You can grow hydroponic crops on the Moon (and NASA plans to at some point). So you don’t need to lose any productive land for a hydroponic operation; you can put your hydroponics buildings along the road, in an unproductive small patch, next to the farm house – wherever it is convenient for you. (You will want road access to the hydroponic sheds, as well as utilities – and someplace visible from the nearest main road won’t hurt, either.)

Before you put up your first building, however, you should decide what kinds of crops to grow. A common mistake is to try too many different plants – sure, you have a broader market appeal, but you also have a higher learning curve as you figure out the mechanics of caring for all the different types of crops you’re growing. To maximize the salability of your product, consider your local market. Remember you’re not selling this to a distributor who trucks it five states away – you need to grow things that your neighbors want to buy, and which are expensive in your area. That will depend on your local geography and climate; it wouldn’t make much sense to grow corn hydroponically in Iowa. Salad-oriented vegetables like peppers and tomatoes are perennial favorites, and often command decent prices.

Another decision to consider is whether to grow organically or not. Going organic is quite easy with hydroponic farming – it’s a lot easier to control insects in a greenhouse than in an open field, and the price premium for organic produce is considerable. I would advise you to give organic a try, if for no other reason than that you can learn how to raise organic crops on a small scale without a major investment. Lots of farmers I talk to express an interest in going organic, but are reluctant to make the huge investment of time and energy up-front that learning a whole new method of farming will take. Going organic on just the hydroponic portion of your operation reduces the cost of that risk – worst case, you padlock the shed and you’re not out very much.

Urban Oasis further minimizes labor costs by using family members as working staff. A hydroponic operation makes an outstanding opportunity for teenaged children to get involved on the business side of the operation, without risking a $500,000 harvester or a multi-million dollar crop. This also might be a great way to get your wife who may have had to take a job in the local town back on the farm. 

If you decide to add an experimental hydroponics operation to your existing farm (or if you’re just so excited about hydroponics that you decide to make it your first farming experience), then please contact me via this blog – I am very interested to hear your stories, and to share them with my other readers.