This serves as an invitation for a Hydroponics Build Day on February 20^th, at noon at the Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Merced.

Address: 1455 E Yosemite Ave, Merced, CA 95340

Freedom, Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW), and Self-Sustaining Schools (SSS) aim to create an avenue to supply crops to nonprofit food pantries (i.e. People’s Kitchen), while still achieving the Triple Bottom Line. Access to healthy nutrition greatly affects the health and life longevity for a population.

Freedom’s designs go beyond the backyard hobbyist and include the most current research in their techniques. Freedom attempts a user friendly and prebuilt hydroponics system, requiring simple to no infrastructure to include in one’s household. The organization discusses and shares their designs, in the attempt to increase the adoption of hydroponics and aquaponics. Also to increase the rate of research and interest in Merced’s scientific community.

Hydroponics achieves a 90%  water retention rate compared to conventional soil agriculture’s 10% water retention rate. Agriculture makes up 70% of water usage worldwide. Produce vegetables and fruits spend 2 to 3 weeks in transit and stores before reaching your plate. This affects the taste and healthiness of the food. Hydroponics provides quick and easy access to food and eliminates food deserts due to its soilless and flexible nature. This technique reports to produce leafy greens in 2 weeks instead of conventional soils’ 4 weeks due to better nutrient uptake. Hydroponics achieves a year-round grow with indoor lighting and atmospheric control. Hydroponics provides solutions to many other agricultural issues such as food wastage, pest control, increasing variety demand, food safety, labor conditions, automation, and other environmental drawbacks. Researchers and farmers also try to hydroponically grow trees such as almond trees, but we require even more research in this area!!!

The technique gives researchers the ability to dope the soil and electrolytes with specific nutrients. Researchers also genetically modify plants and employ them in these systems. Hydroponics’ abilities span growing pharmaceutical herbs that require specific conditions such as Valerian flower and Elderberry. Sustainable methods exist to source water, electricity, and hydroponic fertilizer. Hydroponics serves as the agricultural method of choice for NASA space ships, general space travel, and Mars colonization.