In Saskatchewan, Canada, vegetables have a short growing season. So a very unique farm in Hudson Bay is growing fresh, pesticide- free (无农药的) vegetables in a hydroponic (水培的) farm all year long. There the plants are grown in water instead of soil.
Growing vegetables in the middle of nowhere, about 300 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, may seem like a big risk, but there is no other place for people to get locally grown food. Produce is available in local supermarkets but it is trucked in from far away.
The idea to turn the no longer used Stewart Hawke school into a farm came to the Nels when Hudson Bay asked for bids (投标) for the building in 2018. It was empty and if an alternative use wasn't found, it would be pulled down. "We started looking for ideas, and we went and proposed doing this," Jan Nel said." And they loved it."
After the proposal was accepted, the family worked together to prepare the building in January 2019 and they planted the first seeds in just one classroom the next month.
The company has grown and is now using several rooms thanks to the quality of the produce and the fact that it is local, according to June Nel." It's not two weeks old; it hasn't travelled across the country or across the world," she said. "It actually tastes like lettuce. Lots of people have commented on our herbs. It actually still tastes fresh when you get it, and there's no pesticide used."
She expects more producers to turn to hydroponics in the future but notes that the technology is limited to only some fruits and vegetables and doesn't work for potatoes or grains." It's not the answer to the food security question or challenge, but it will play an increasingly larger role," she adds.
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