What is Hydroponics?

The Greek word “hydro” means water and “ponos” means labor or work. Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in water without soil.  To do so, the water must be enriched with nutrients and the plants need an inert medium to support the root system. Hydroponics is sometimes referred to as CEA = Controlled Environment Agriculture.  It has been practiced for centuries dating back to the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians and Aztecs.

Benefits of Hydroponics

  • Excellent crops
  • Plants can be grown without pesticides or herbicides
  • Much less labor; e.g., weeding, thinning, soil management, etc.
  • Can grow year-round indoors and out
  • Projects can promote economic and community development, social entrepreneurship, training, research and education
  • Consistent with the farm-to-table movement, organics, and localizing food production.

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