Hydroponically speaking – Nashville now springs eternal. Over the course of the last few years, Music City has sprouted a bouquet of hydroponic farms, each harvesting fresh produce year-round. This is good news for Nashville’s chefs who like to plate February fare with precious, little sprouts of green. But it’s even better news for the rest of us, Nashville’s home chefs. Think about it. Cold and cloudy though it may be, we can still brighten up these winter days with the reds and greens of a fresh Caprese salad, and all (sans olive oil), from locally sourced ingredients: the basil, the tomatoes, even the mozzarella. This is because hydroponics combines age-old farming principles with innovative technologies, allowing growers to harvest produce without the limitations of weather, seasons, or pests, and all while using 90% less water. Hydroponics also allows for urban farming, growing the food much closer to our forks.
Hydroponics grows plants in nutrient-enriched water instead of soil. The word hydroponics comes from the roots “hydro,” meaning water, and “ponos,” meaning labor. Compared to conventional gardening, hydroponic gardening requires far less water while more efficiently oxygenating the plants’ roots. Further, since hydroponic systems are often situated above ground, it’s easy to deter pets and pests and virtually eliminate soil-related diseases.