By Susan Salisbury For The Palm Beach Post

August 12, 2019

Greenhouses Allow Year-Round Growing

And Protection From Freezes And Extreme Rainfall.

Growing lettuce and other leafy greens indoors is gaining traction nationwide, as such big players as New Jersey-based Aero Farms and Bowery, are producing huge quantities in giant warehouses fueled by millions of dollars in investment.

The push comes as farmland becomes increasingly expensive and in short supply, and consumers demand locally grown produce that’s fresher because it hasn’t been transported hundreds of miles.

In Palm Beach County two new hydroponic farms—Green Life Farms and Patagonia Green Leaf— are being launched in greenhouses off U.S. 441 west of the Lake Worth Beach/Boynton Beach area. Hydroponic farming uses no soil. Instead, crops are grown in perlite, coconut fiber or nutrient-rich water in a controlled and enclosed environment.

Art Kirstein, agricultural economic development coordinator with the Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Service, said that hydroponic farming offers advantages such as year-round growing, increased capacity on a smaller amount of land and protection from freezes and weather events such as extreme rainfall.

Green Life Farms harvested its first crop of baby arugula, baby romaine and baby spinach in mid-July. Its greenhouse occupies nearly 3 acres and will yield approximately 750,000 pounds of premium leaf green produce throughout the year, said Mike Ferree, vice president.

The greens are grown, harvested and packaged onsite, then picked up or shipped directly from the farm. They are also GMO and pesticide-free.

Green Life’s head grower, Greg Graft, said the produce is mechanically harvested using an automated system.

The first crop is not available for sale. Once Green Life begins official commercial production, products will be available at local grocery stores, restaurants and other locations, Graft said.

Green Life chose Palm Beach County for its large consumer market, proximity to sales partners and an agriculture-friendly environment, Graft said. It has invested $15 million so far.

Green Life uses a deep-water floating raft technology from Hydronov, an Ashley, Ind.-based leader in the hydroponic industry with more than 30 years of experience.

The floating raft system helps to conserve water, using the oxygenated clean water in which the plants grow as a conveyor system. Green Life will be able to produce 18 harvests each year and use 90 percent less water than conventional farming.

Patagonia Green Leaf, about a mile south of Green Life, is a hydroponic farm on a former plant nursery. It’s owned by the Canosa family. They’ve farmed in the traditional way in Argentina for 10 years.

The first phase of 10 greenhouses totaling 30,000 square feet is completed. The initial crop of baby greens will be planted soon, with harvesting expected by late September.

“The idea is to harvest and deliver the product within 24 hours,” said Juan Ignacio Canosa, who lives in Boca Raton.

After visiting Miami and Fort Lauderdale on vacations, the family started coming to Boca Raton. Last year they bought 5 acres from Boynton Botanicals, whose owner was retiring.

Plants will be grown pesticide-free using a system known as NFT, (nutrient film technique) from Arcata, Calif.-based AmHydro. A pump delivers fertilized water to the growing trays, flows over the plants’ roots, then drains back into the reservoir and is recycled.

Robert Hochmuth, regional extension agent with the University of Florida’s North Florida Research and Education Center, said since the early 2000s, the number of acres of produce grown in greenhouses and other structures in Florida has increased five-fold to more than 500 acres.

Producing in protected structures extends the season and reduces insects and diseases, Hochmuth said.

“You can be a consistent supplier in the marketplace over a long period of time,” Hochmuth said.

Most of the hydroponic farms in Florida are less than an acre and tend to cater to local markets.

Hochmuth said hydroponic growing is attracting people who are new to farming.

“Because they are going with high-value specialty crops, the likelihood of profitability makes sense,” Hochmuth said.

Of course, greenhouses and other facilities are at risk of being destroyed during hurricanes or high winds. Hochmuth advises removing the plastic from the structures prior to storms because it acts as a sail.

Hydroponic farming isn’t new to Palm Beach County. Walter Ross founded Farmhouse Tomatoes west of Lake Worth in 1996 and grows heirloom tomatoes in 160,000-square-feet of greenhouses from Nov. 1 through June 30.