The Homestead Hydroponic Farm

The Homestead Hydroponic Farm grows exclusively without soil, feeding plant roots through recirculating water with a dissolved mineral solution, a method known as nutrient film technique (NFT). Greens are grown in climate-controlled, fully enclosed greenhouses that keep produce elevated off the ground and protected from pests, eliminating the need for chemical pesticides. The farm also uses open greenhouses, shade houses, enclosed shipping containers for microgreens and sprouts, and mixed-media ground troughs (filled with coco fiber and pine bark, no soil) for root vegetables. Tomatoes and cucumbers are grown in bucket or bag systems. Hydroponic growing uses about one-tenth the water of traditional farming. The farm practices Integrated Pest Management (IPM), introducing beneficial insects such as ladybugs and applying organic biological controls when needed to combat Florida's heat, humidity, and pest pressures. Flower rows draw pests away from produce.