The need for large-scale hydroponics farms will increase as urban areas get more populated each year. Hydroponics is an innovative farming method that will solve present and future issues surrounding urban areas. Operators of large-scale hydroponics farms can sell their goods to local restaurants, businesses, and individuals so people can get their food in the same city rather than from rural farming areas. This article is going to cover the basics of how to set up a large-scale hydroponics farm.
Step 1: Flesh Out Your Business Idea
Great, you want to start a hydroponics farm. But you’ll need to plan out your business venture to ensure it is set up for success! Configure the costs associated with starting a hydroponics farm, the ongoing costs. Who’s going to be your target market? Are you trying to sell to individuals, grocery stores, or local restaurants? How are you planning to sell your products? In bulk? What is the name of your business? Does it align with your company’s values and beliefs?
Step 2: Choose a Location
When it comes to a large-scale hydroponics farm, you’ll need to decide where you want to set up shop. Since the future of farming is appealing to major cities, you may want to set up your business nearby or inside a major city. The location of your business also depends on your target audiences.
Step 3: Decide What Crops You Want to Grow
Choosing the crops you want to grow is one of the most critical factors for your hydroponics farm. Check to see if there are other hydroponics farms in the area, and if so, what are they selling? See if you can offer a product that’s not only easy to grow but also will have demand amongst your audiences. Are you planning on growing one single crop to cut costs, or do you want to grow a variety of crops to appeal to various target markets?
Step 4: Pick a Hydroponics Growing System
Look at the space you’re planning to have your hydroponics farm in and determine what kind of system will work best depending on the location and the crop. If you’re growing crops like lettuce or spinach, then an NFT setup will suffice because these crops grow fast and short, which allows for easy pickings. Larger crops such as tomatoes or fruits will benefit from vertical hydroponics growing systems. Compare the prices for various hydroponics growing systems depending on the materials, crops, location, and setup.
Step 5: Lighting
Now you’ll want to determine the light source to use to grow your plants. Lighting can lead to expensive costs, especially when powering large-scale hydroponics farms. From LEDs to HID lamps to HPS bulbs, lighting is an important factor in hydroponics farming. Each lighting source has its pros and cons, and you’ll need to study each one to determine which option best suits your needs.
Hydroponics farms are the key to the future of farming. To learn more about hydroponics and farming, subscribe to the Nick Greens YouTube channel and join our microgreens group on Facebook. We look forward to helping you reach your goals!