Ask Professor Produce

Dear Professor Produce,

I have been wondering about hydroponic agriculture for a while now - the Wedge folks have always said that you can't certify hydroponic produce as organic, but now you carry organic hydroponic tomatoes. What has changed?

Whatever you believe, you have to believe in water. Whether you think we crawled out of a primordial ooze spawned by the gentle warming of water by the sun or not, you wouldn't make it out of the primordial ooze you leave on your pillow each night if you didn't consume water in some form every day. This isn't new information - the world is covered by approximately 70% water, your brain is over 80% water - your blood is 90% water and the entire weight of your body is between 60-75% water at all times! You've seen a mummy before, right? Not much there to speak of without the juiciness of life that is clear, fresh water. Of course, most of us probably don't drink enough water or know what "enough water" really is, and then there's the challenge of water's purity and the proliferation of brands of water for purchase. All good topics, but hydroponics, well now, that is water at its triumphant best and most obvious.

Hydroponic agriculture is a way of growing food without soil - usually in a greenhouse and always with various "inputs" made of nutrient solutions (potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, etc.) that are controlled by the farmer/scientist. It's amazing what you can do with these inputs. Once you learn which mineral components are essential for various characteristics, say sweetness in a tomato for one, you can boost that input and make a sweeter fruit. People have officially been experimenting with hydroponics for at least 80 years, but we can assume it's been around much longer than that. In the latter half of the 20th century, the science really took off in part because it is such an efficient and conservative way of growing good food in a world whose environment is showing signs of stress.

I say conservative because hydroponics can be quite environmentally friendly. Since the plants are grown in a contained soil-less medium, there is no loss of water through runoff. There are never issues of drought or the need for intensive, often wasteful irrigation methods like sprinklers or drip tape. You can grow more food in a smaller space as well, since plants aren't competing for root space and soil nutrients. Another benefit is that you can grow fresh produce in places you otherwise could not (Minnesota in January, for example). Perhaps best of all, plants are grown in greenhouses, eliminating the issue of weeds and greatly reducing pest problems, so there is no need for toxic pesticide or herbicide applications. Many hydroponic growers (like our hydro lettuce supplier LaBore Farms) practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques, such as introducing beneficial predatory insects to control whatever unwanted pest outbreaks arise.

A lot of resistance to hydroponics comes up for people because it's unconventional - mistrusted because from Kindergarten on we are taught that plants need soil, water and air to grow. What we learn from chemistry, though, is that soil is really just tiny rocks and organic matter and microorganisms - if you want to grow a lot of healthy food, you'll need to get your soil tested and find out what it's made of so you know what you need to add to provide the right "food" for your plants. You can just farm away without knowing, but over time this practice is not sustainable and leads to soil depletion which leads to a whole host of environmental problems. Good farmers will be able to tell you lots and lots about their soil, and it is fascinating. Hydroponic farmers know all about their "soil" too, because they are constructing it themselves.

Now, as far as organic certification of hydroponics is concerned, there has been a lot of debate about it over the years. Up until recently it wasn't possible, but now there are products on the market that are suitable for organic certification. Growing mediums based on coconut fiber (as opposed to highly processed mediums made out of rocks) are accepted by organic standards, and there are inputs that are not as highly refined as traditional hydroponic inputs available now, too. These include seaweed emulsions, bat guano and compost "teas."

We have been carrying Big Tom's Organic Hydroponic Tomatoes from Wisconsin at the Wedge all winter, and have had a lot of success with them as an alternative to organic tomatoes trucked in from California. Not only are they of consistently excellent texture (never dense or crunchy like winter tomatoes usually are) they have a lot of flavor and are often sweet. They're also rosy and beautiful - perfectly ripened and treated with care. This is the first organically certified hydroponic product I've ever encountered, so it's likely that it's a fairly new thing.

I would stand by any of our hydroponic produce, however - we have been carrying Living Waters hydroponic tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers for many years. Living Waters is a hydroponic grower in Wells, MN, and during peak season we receive shipments twice weekly. He is not certified, but runs a clean operation and has been at it for years. The most recent addition to our fresh lettuces and greens rack has been LaBore Farms Hydroponic lettuce, grown fresh in Faribault, MN. This lettuce is harvested and shipped within the same 24 hours, with the root ball intact. This means you are buying the healthiest, most succulent lettuce available in Minnesota in the winter, and it will run circles of freshness around California lettuce when it comes to holding up in your fridge. I unequivocally recommend it in preference to the organic stuff from California - it's at least 2000 miles fresher and better for our environment. We also sell hydroponic watercress, a beautiful spicy plant somewhere between lettuce and an herb. This hydroponic variety is the most beautiful specimen of this plant I've ever seen for sale.

Purity is at the core of both organics and hydroponics, so it's no wonder that although they needn't overlap, they are beginning to. Organic agriculture is subject to a lot of bureaucratic standards, standards that are not always protecting purity as much as they are protecting process. Hydroponic agriculture, by its very nature, is extremely pure and turns out very clean, healthy produce. Either way, just like us, when the plant meets the water, life is sustained.

Got a question or comment for the professor? You can email her at professorproduce@wedge.coop.