Hydroponic farming is a way to get more from less. It has been estimated that by switching from traditional farming to hydroponic farming, a farm can increase its crop yield by a factor of four. This is a kind of farming that uses water instead of soil to grow crops and often makes use of eco-friendly products such as Bio Green Clean. When Beth Tucker tried it, it certainly worked for her, according to reporting in U.S. News and World Report.
Tucker says that farming has always been a part of her life but she changed her farming ways when she learned about hydroponic farming methods. She says that she started using hydroponics systems to grow her tomatoes about three years ago.
The way Tucker keeps an eye on her tomatoes in through her smartphone and her computer. When something needs her attention, she gets an alert. These issues can be anything such as a problem with the fans or hydro sump pumps.
To make the switch from traditional farming to hydrophobic farming, Tucker spent a lot of time researching the methods, the business models of other farms that use this kind of farming, and the hydroponic system supplies such as Bio Green Clean. She started her hydroponic farming with one greenhouse but soon built two additional greenhouses.
Tucker says that she was looking for something to keep her in Mississippi. She is originally from Brooklyn, New York but wanted to be able to stay home where she takes care of two grandchildren. Both of her grandkids have special needs. She says she wants to be able to turn the business over to one of her grandchildren. She plans to teach her granddaughter how to grow the plants using the hydroponic techniques and eco-friendly products such as Bio Green Clean.
One of the local shops that carries Tucker’s tomatoes is the Lil’ Butcher Shoppe, run by David Lawson. He admits that he loves both the way the tomatoes taste and sell and likes to buy produce that is grown in the area. Lawson says that tomatoes he has gotten from wholesalers are just not as good and do not sell as well.
The Lil’ Butcher Shoppe is not the only establishment that sings the praises of Tucker’s tomatoes. Sully’s also carries them and its co-owner, Stephen Hampton, has praise for the tomatoes and for Tucker herself. Hampton calls Tucker a sharp businesswoman. He says that she is a person who is true to her word and never fails to deliver her produce when she says she will. He added that he doe not normally like to buy produce that was grown in a greenhouse but that the quality of Tucker’s tomatoes is so great that he cannot pass them up.
In addition to being really tasty, Tucker’s tomatoes are consistent in their size and shape. People ask for these tomatoes over others because they know what they are getting when they buy them.
Tucker also grows cucumbers. She has plans to expand her offerings to include summer squash, peppers, and okra. Later down the road, she has plans to add greens, cabbage, green onions, and broccoli. At present, her greenhouses have 1,862 tomato plants. She offers five kinds including a hybrid brown, beefsteak, two kinds of cherry tomatoes, and heirloom tomatoes. She says that every one of her plants can produce about 600 pounds of tomatoes during the course of its life.
Tucker says that she has to feed her plants for 120 seconds every 30 minutes. They do require a lot of attention and care. Every week, she has to prune the plants to get rid of vines that have gotten too long. This needs to be done to make sure the plants remain as healthy as possible. She reports that she has had vines grow as long as 30 feet.
Perlite is used to grow the plants, this is a kind of volcanic glass. It is able to hold onto a lot of water. Eco-friendly products such as Bio Green Clean keep them free of chemicals. This kind of farming does take a decent amount of effort but it is worth it when people ask for and enjoy her tomatoes.