US: New Jersey - Hope Cahill Starts As Coordinator At Hydroponic Farm
By Lois Levine
March 1, 2020
A hydroponic farm, in the middle of a municipal center? Well, it all started in 2016, when Robbinsville Mayor Dave Fried found out about hydroponic farming in freight containers.
“He loved the idea and thought it would be beneficial to the township in terms of feeding programs and education on how to grow greens and learn more about nutrition,” said Kevin Holt, recreation manager for the Robbinsville Township.
Hope Cahill, the new coordinator of Robbinsville’s hydroponic farm, holds some of the farm’s yield.
Now, the farm has a new coordinator—Hope Cahill, who took over for original caretaker Kyle Clement in January.
“We can grow anything that is a leafy green,” Cahill said. “Here we are growing butterhead, oak leaf, and lollo lettuce, as well as spring mix.”
The farm also grows some herbs, basil, and cilantro. Cahill, 25, is certified in aquaponics, an off-breed of hydroponics.
After graduating high school, she got certified in a variety of different areas of agriculture, and before taking this position working as a naturalist at various garden centers, as well as with the Monmouth County Park system. Born and raised in Tinton Falls, Cahill will be soon moving to Freehold.
Hydroponic farming is farming done without soil. Plants typically get all their nutrients from the soil. In hydroponic farming, however, nutrient-rich water takes the place of the soil, enriching the seedlings as they grow into fully mature plants and watering them at precise times through a computerized system.
With the system that the Robbinsville Township purchased, known as the Leafy Green Machine, lettuces and herbs are grown in a vertical hydroponic farm that lives within a recycled, refrigerated, insulated, custom-built shipping container.
Between the nutrient-rich water and light energy from powerful LEDs, greens can be independent of the need for land, climate and season, growing in a modular design that is also mobile and can theoretically live anywhere.
The container consists of insulation, where it maintains an average internal temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit in extreme climates; climate control, built with an integrated “economizer” that saves energy by drawing in cool outside air when appropriate and also doubling as an intake fan; a dehumidifier to maintain optimal humidity levels and decreasing the farms overall water consumption; airflow ducts, consisting of two fans that distribute cool carbon dioxide enriched air evenly; and a carbon dioxide regulator with a safety shut-off feature, providing plants with exactly the right amount of carbon dioxide needed for photosynthesis.
In addition, the greenery’s LED lights provide the plants with the best quality light at its most efficient point. The LED boards are designed to emit only particular wavelengths of red and blue light, which are the colors that plants are able to absorb most easily for photosynthesis (red light is essential for stem and leaf growth, while blue light helps develop thick stems and dark green foliage).
Just as it is in nature, Cahill and her team start with the seeds, which begin in a flowing hydroponic system and are placed into compressed peat moss, known as grow plugs. The peat-moss plugs act as a sponge for absorbing nutrient-rich water. The seeds soak for 10 minutes, are covered with a humidity dome and sit under grow lights for about a week.
At that point, the seeds have become sprouts, with small roots, short stems, and a few young leaves. They then move up to the next level, a flow troth, where the roots “get completely soaked,” Cahill said. Now actual seedlings, taller and sturdier than they had been, with a secure root system, the plants sit in that troth for another two weeks, getting consistent water and light to develop strong stems needed to support the plant’s weight later in its life cycle.
After this time period, the seedlings are harvested and transplanted into the main cultivation area, where they are now in the towers, growing vertically for the first time. The roots, which are still in the peat-moss grow plugs, are wedged into stiff foam panels, which provide firm support, with the plant facing outward towards the LED light, encouraging the leaves to grow. Here, in this final destination, they spend from two to five weeks until they are ready for their harvest..
A view of the produce inside of the shipping container that houses Robbinsville’s hydroponic farm
“It is a continual cycle of putting new lettuce and herbs in, taking grown ones out,” Cahill said.
Every week, the team has something to harvest.
“What is nice about the system is that it is computerized so that plants get exactly the nutrients it needs at the right time,” Cahill said. “Sensors on the computer know when they might need nitrates or some other nutrient.”
Freight Farm, the company that built the hydroponic farm equipment, also developed an app that can be used via a person’s iPhone or desktop computer to keep an eye on all sensor data.
Holt admits he did not know much about hydroponic farming until Fried asked him to look into purchasing a machine.
“I did a ton of research on what hydroponic farming is, to educate myself, and then looked into what companies are out there to make these container farms,” he said. “We talked to a lot of companies, and decided on Freight Farm, out of Boston. At the time, they told us we were the only municipality they had ever sold a freight farm container to.”
Once Cahill and Holt have the finished products, the lettuce and herbs get donated back to the Robbinsville Senior Center.
“We also give some of the produce to Meals on Wheels, and also Mercer Street Friends, who disperse it to schools,” Cahill said. “They distribute it to about a dozen schools in the Trenton area.”
And how does the finished product taste?
“It is honestly the best lettuce you can ever eat,” Holt said. “You really can see and taste the difference between this produce and the produce you buy in a supermarket.”
It looks good and feels good, too, Cahill said.
“Before we distribute it, we take care to remove any brown or damaged leaves,” she said. “There are, of course, no pesticides, no chemicals that the greens were treated with, so it is very safe and very clean.”
Both Cahill and Holt rave about how green and fresh the lettuce is, “with so much more taste to it than what you get in the stores, which by comparison, tastes so bland,” Holt said.
Since starting the farm at the municipal center in 2017, companies have come through to see the set-up, expressing interest in buying machines for themselves. Holt said the township has also hosted schools and colleges, as well as field trips and local education programs.
“Our mission is to grow, educate and unite: we grow the lettuce, give it away, educate the community about how hydroponic farming works, and unite people by asking them to volunteer or hold events, which is a catalyst for bringing people together,” Holt said. “This has been a huge win-win for the community.”
Cahill said she is always seeking volunteers and visitors, as well.
To schedule a tour or for more information, visit robbinsville.net/recreation or send an email to hcahill@robbinsville.net.