“Better Than Organic” is now a thing
Aeroponics, hydroponics, aquaponics… While an article (or several) can be written about each one of these methods of growing food this article is about how they’ll:
1. Shift agriculture economics (in the more sustainable and affordable direction) and
2. Throw a wrench in the money-making and loop-hole prone Organics Certification industry
This article won’t dive into how becoming certified organic costs a surprising amount of money on a membership basis, the loopholes that lack secure confirmation of consistent organic testing of certified vendors, and the neglect of regenerative farming (which is actually the more important aspect of organic practices).
Nope, that’s a whole set of articles on politics, policy, GDP, and semantics…
So, we’ll get to simple goodness now. I’m going to ask you to hold onto two thoughts while we get to the point:
The concept of easy contamination from uncontrollable sources.
If you take the concept of ANY form of outdoor farming and consider the ease of contamination from environmental leaching (chemicals in water supply, soil, unmonitored burning of chemical pollutants in the air. etc.*) and how easy it is for your neighbor to pour Miracle Grow on the roadside trenches to kill grasses in turn, during the next major rainfall, flows right next to your crops it’s not difficult to foresee unintentional damage or chemical contamination to produce is high risk.
The concept of cyclical treatment with a lack of complete information.
When adding conditioners to the soil, herbicides/pesticides (even the organic ones) to plants, and applying water and/or nutrients to ensure crop growth even the best farmers use a general all-for-one application. Meaning they might test one or even four corners of soil to determine treatment plans for acres of produce, but due to the major investment and high risk of failure, excess treatment is generally applied. The byproduct can lead to overgrowth (waste), under-flavored produce (nutrient-deficient), hyper-pesticide-ridden (contaminated), and saturated (overfarmed) soil. While the majority of the crop is sellable the ability to accurately apply precise amounts by row let alone by the plant is unrealistic and not sustainable.
To recap, the concepts are 1. uncontrollable contamination (even in organic environments) and 2. limited information for applying external products to yield consistent and sellable produce.
Great, so both of those cost a lot of money, and even if you try your hardest leads to chemical leaching in your body. Bummer right? If you’re about to throw the keyboard/laptop in a fury and shouting “what else can I possibly do to eat well and do good by science and the planet and my family’s health?!?!?!”
I’ll stop you right there.
You can save the computer repair bill and some money while ensuring your next grocery run has contaminant-free produce and is better for your pocket and the planet!
Buy hydroponic or aeroponic produce. Even better, grow them yourself and never deal with wilted $7.99 lettuce leaves again! The kits out there are cheap and the results of your own reproducing lettuces and other products can occur in 30-60 days.
“I don’t know about all that” you might be saying but indoor farming is pretty much a Hat Trick of wins.
Because the plants are grown indoors, generally in previously unused buildings (with green energy updates) now employing new jobs, located in strategic locations to limit transportation (carbon footprint) with the ability to control air quality, nutrient supplementation, and light exposure with near-zero risk of chemical leaching from uncontrollable sources AND ensuring nearly a 100% successful harvest rate it’s arguably the most sustainable, clean, and cost-effective methods of growing, selling, and buying compatible produce.
In summary, aeroponics, aquaponics, and hydroponics supply:
pure, unadulterated health-focused produce (and marine protein in the case of aquaponics)
lower costs of production/lost inventory = lower cost of goods/higher crop sales
positive impact for the community and the planet = future humanity wins
While you may be overwhelmed by all this, you should be able to find hothouse or indoor grown lettuce in local grocers.
If you have a trusted local farm that uses regenerative practices this is the best option. However, when farming practices are questionable you can count on indoor farmed produce!