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  • From: Brigette Leach <avalonfarmshomegrown AT earthlink.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Hydroponics
  • Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2005 19:28:49 -0500

Well, Paul. This is becoming a pattern with you. When we disagree with you, we are making personal attacks. But evidently you can say anything, and crticize any one you want. Your tone is not conducive to effective communication, only in finding reinforcement for your position. I stopped taking my toys and going home when I was, oh, about a kindergartner.

Thank you to those on the list who are willing to share what they know so that we can all grow through the exchange of experiences and ideas. I can say that I have found useful posts that actually share information, direct me to good information sources, or in some way help me avoid making a mistake because someone else has already made it, and is willing to admit to the experience. And to those of you who take time to ask questions, thank you as well, because the questions are often the same ones I would like to ask, but don't take time to.

Once again,
Brigette
Avalon Farms Homegrown
Zone 5

Tradingpost wrote:

Everybody can see who's being nasty and confrontational from your reply to my post below. Hydroponics is not organic. Nobody's forcing anybody to be organic. I will not respond further to this unprovoked personal attack.
paul, tradingpost AT riseup.net
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Soilmakers/
---------------
The outstanding scientific discovery of the twentieth century is not television, or radio, but rather the complexity of the land organism. Only those who know the most about it can appreciate how little we know about it. - Aldo Leopold in Round River, 1933
*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 12/13/2005 at 5:12 PM Adriana wrote:


Paul,
I beg to differ. I have been running commercial hydroponic greenhouses
for over 8 years and you are making some grossly inaccurate statements. Just like any good farmer we also will use beneficial insects and minimally
toxic products, and these only when absolutely necessary. We strive try to
create a balance in our environment and practice integrated pest management. A "humus-intensive" greenhouse can be just as susceptible to insects and
other diseases strictly by virtue of the high plant density and very healthy plants in a greenhouse gives bugs an "all-you-can eat buffet".

One area in which we are more "sustainable'" than dirt farmers is in water utilization - we typically use less than 20% of the water which is
required in field culture. We also use a fraction of the fertilizers of
conventional farmers and we do not leach any excess nutrients (be they chemical or organic) into the ground water.

Most hydroponic greenhouses use "chemical" nutrients, but there are operations which grow hydroponically using more "organic" nutrients - some of these use fish effluent from high density fish tanks to grow plants;
this is called Aquaponics. A friend of mine in Brazil breaks down animal
manures in a multi-stage biodigester with the end product being a water-soluble fertilizer that can be used in "water culture".

Paul I find the whole tone of your postings arrogant and offensive in that you seem to be placing your method as superior to others. We all have our pros and cons and reasons for growing what we grow the way we grow it. Let's all try to learn from each other in a less confrontational manner.

Adriana Gutierrez
Birmingham, AL 35244




Growers have no alternative but to drench hydroponic plants in fungicides and pesticides. This also makes them high maintenance and labor intensive. A more sustainable alternative is humus- intensive

beds,
and they can be in a greenhouse that opens in mild weather or just outdoors with some form of weather protection. Humus-intensive has long been demonstrated to be the way to grow the most and healthiest produce

in
the least space with the least water and least ongoing energy input.



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