Hamra Farms Finds Growth Potential in Hydroponics
It might seem like the farm of the future, but Hamra Farms is rooted in a practice that is thousands of years old: hydroponics.
In fact, hydroponics is believed to be the source of the legendary beauty of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, built around 600 B.C. Later, in the tenth and eleventh centuries, the Aztec Indians would use floating gardens to grow crops.
Hydroponics works by delivering the nutrients plants need via water rather than soil. Today, the practice allows farmers to grow plants year-round in a heated greenhouse.
"We've been growing hydroponically for about 15 years," says Steve Hamra, owner of Hamra Farms in Sikeston. "This technology is not new -- but there have been lots of advancements."
Those advancements include sensors to monitor water flow and meters to measure nutrient counts in water.
Hamra uses this modern technology and ancient wisdom to harness the power of hydroponics. But it's not just the lack of soil that makes Hamra Farms unique.
"Everything is natural -- we use no herbicides or pesticides on our plants," says Hamra.
When they need to fight pests such as whiteflies and inch worms, they use natural, oil-based solutions instead of poison.
As he says, "It's a different way of farming."