Hydroponics – A Viable Alternative to Traditional Farming

In a nation consistently plagued by water scarcity that can cripple farming, one player in the agricultural sector is urging more Jamaicans to get on board with hydroponics.

The relatively new company, Fresca Farm, is championing the soil-less means of cultivating crops, which it points out offers numerous benefits.

Fresca Farm’s Director, Miguel Garnett, explains that hydroponic farming is “farming with water and nutrient-based solutions, which can be organic, or regular fertiliser”.

He notes that the method can be used to grow a variety of plants, such as leafy greens and vegetables, spices and vines.

“The only thing that does not grow in hydroponics is tubers, which is your sweet potato, your Irish potato, yams and stuff like that – anything that needs to be grown under the earth. But anything else that grows above ground, that does not grow into a large tree, can be grown with hydroponics,” Mr. Garnett tells JIS in an interview.

The farmer notes that the main benefit of using this method is that it minimises the amount of water needed during the life cycle of plants.

“With hydroponics, the water in the system constantly recycles. When you plant in the soil and you water the plant, the water soaks into the soil, and the plant only gets to use a limited amount of that water. In hydroponics, the system is not constantly running, so whenever the system comes on, the plants use whatever they need to use and what is not used goes back down into a tank, and that constantly recycles. Hence, it saves you a lot of water,” Mr. Garnett outlines.

Another benefit to hydroponics is that plants grow at a faster rate than using traditional methods.

“Because of the growth pace in hydroponics, hydroponic farmers can see a faster return on their investment, meaning that they get a faster yield in comparison to planting in the ground. With hydroponics, the nutrients and the water are readily available to the plant, and it’s easier to absorb in the plant, hence it gives the plant a faster growth rate compared to the soil. When you put fertiliser in the ground, the fertiliser has to be broken down into the soil for the plant to absorb it. With hydroponics, you don’t have any of that process. The nutrients go directly to the plant immediately,” he explains.

In real terms, this means that a commonly grown plant such as lettuce, which has a typical growth cycle of approximately 12 weeks, can be ready in as little as six weeks if it is grown hydroponically.

While setting up a hydroponic farm will require an initial investment to procure the materials and towers, Mr. Garnett stresses that it is not a difficult undertaking.

“The information on hydroponics is readily available on the Internet. Anyone who is planning to get into hydroponics, I would suggest that they do a little bit of research, as it’s not difficult to understand. And once you do your research and set up your farm, you’re good to go,” he tells JIS News.

Persons can set up their own hydroponic equipment by sourcing the parts or they can purchase ready-made solutions suited for their homes or farms.

Fresca Farm offers hydroponic systems starting at $56,000, that allow persons to grow up to 50 plants at once.

Mr. Garnett notes that hydroponic farming is available to everyone, even those who do not have extensive yard space.

“We manufacture the farms from scratch, and we don’t stick to one conventional design. We make aeroponic towers, we make A-frames, we make flatbeds. We also make floating systems that can go on a wall. So, if you have no land whatsoever, we can also put the hydroponic farm on a wall. If you have a balcony, we can put an aeroponic tower on the balcony. So, space is not an issue.

We design the farm to suit the needs of the customer,” Mr. Garnett says.

To drive home the point that hydroponics is for everyone, Mr. Garnett points to his own background in information technology (IT).

“I have a bachelor’s degree in information and communications technology, and I have a Diploma in Graphic Presentation from the University of Central England,” he says.

“I was always interested in farming, but I’m never one for the dirt, and I’m never one to be standing in the sun. So even though I had an interest in agriculture, I never ventured into agriculture because of those reasons,” Mr. Garnett adds.

He explains that because of his interest in farming, he initially tried poultry rearing, but that didn’t work out.

However, his interest remained, and Mr. Garnett decided to give it another shot.

“I said to myself, you know what, I would still like to try my hand at farming; if there was an easier way, a more efficient way to farm, I would get into it. Also, I have a friend that’s doing farming, and I went to his farm one day, and I saw the challenges he faced, and I said to myself, if only I could mitigate the sun, the dirt, and these challenges that this guy is facing, then I would get into farming,” he tells JIS News.

“And I went online, and I was doing some research, and I came across hydroponics. Because I knew nothing about hydroponics, I did a course, and then I got my first system,” he explains.

That initial system in 2023 has grown into a successful business which sees Mr. Garnett and his team building hydroponic systems for farmers across the island.

Fresca Farm is currently in a phase of expansion, with its Director looking to build out an automated climate-controlled farm system in St. Mary.

“Fresca Farm is looking to bring new innovations into Jamaica as it relates to farming. Not just with hydroponics but we’re looking to do a full indoor climate-controlled setup,” Mr. Garnett says.

He adds that Fresca Farm is looking to be a leader and innovator in hydroponic farming in Jamaica.