Pest Management

Use beneficial insects to control pests and stimulate healthy plant growth.  Outdoors, plants are more vulnerable to various types of diseases and insects whereas in a controlled environment.  We have the ability to keep a lot of these pressures at bay.  In enclosed greenhouses we are able to use biological controls which are extremely difficult to use in an outdoors fully exposed environment.

Water

Water is conserved and recycled: Despite being nourished by a nutrient-rich water, Hydroponic growing actually uses less water than field growing, due to two factors: we recycle water and our greenhouse controls humidity and therefore water loss through evaporation. Our greenhouses deliver water directly to the root of the plant. This water is sterilized, recirculated and delivered to plants multiple times before it leaves the greenhouse.  In field growing, water is used only once and has to go through the soil before reaching the plant root, resulting in water loss. 100% of the water used reaches the plants with no waste.

Soil Conservation and Safety

There is no depletion of soil nutrients because soil isn't used in the growing process. This also means that soil erosion is impossible.  Without dirt, plants are not subject to the microorganisms it carries, cannot get soil-born diseases, cannot be invaded by grubs or other soil-based insects, and cannot absorb toxins and bacteria found in soil.  Instead, our plants are rooted in a sterile medium like rockwool cubes.

Land Conservation

Hydroponic farming yields 20-30 times more product per acre than conventional field production utilizing far less water per pound.  This high yield means fewer acres needed for growing and more open space left to nature.  Herbsivore Foods, LLC. plants the same indoor area every growing season.  There is no need to clear more acres to find rich soil or leave fields empty to let the soil "recover."

Benefits for Food Safety

Reports of tainted produce that makes people sick regularly worry consumers.  This is even more concerning as we are often advised to eat our vegetables raw for the maximum nutritional impact.  We make sure the produce we grow is safe because we can grow in safe greenhouses in an indoor controlled environment with a hydroponic growing system.  Hydroponic plants are fed by nutrient-rich water that gives them everything they need.  The plants are not in contact with fields where runoff from animals can carry bacteria.  Therefore, no chemical residues or bacteria from animals, like deadly E. coli, can ever reach a plant.

Enclosed Growing Environment

Hydroponic produce is protected from the rain that carries pollutants and the runoff that can carry bacteria.  Each plant is individually nourished by a nutrient-rich water that delivers all the necessary vitamins and minerals for that plant to thrive. We adjust this mix depending on the season and the growth stage of the plant, ensuring it gets exactly what makes it grow best. The plants aren’t subject to the variations in nutrient availability that occur in the wild, nor are they absorbing pollutants or bacteria from the soil or animal waste.  When the weather is beautiful, the sun warms the plants, driving the photosynthesis engine that makes them grow effectively and nutrient rich.  Our carefully designed climate system replicates the best natural growing conditions where temperature, humidity and light are just right to create delicious vegetables.  When the weather is bad, the structure protects the vegetables from damage that causes bruises, marks, and nicks.  Even more important, weather cannot destroy the entire crop, one of the main factors that causes produce prices to rise.