Environmental: Consumers are concerned about the environment and are motivated to support production operations which are “kind” to the environment. Hydroponic growing methods use little or no harmful chemicals including pesticides, insecticides, or herbicides. Insect and disease control are accomplished by using biological control methods which are safe to the environment.
The hydroponic methods utilized by Chesapeake Greenhouse are extremely conservative regarding water consumption, using only about one tenth of the water that is normally used in open field agriculture. Fertilizer needs are reduced as well keeping costs lower, and waste materials to a minimum.
Other Info: Currently, almost all lettuce consumed in the United States comes from soil grown production in California. A small amount is produced in season, throughout the country, also being grown in soil. Quality as well as prices tend to fluctuate greatly depending on the weather in California. Growing the lettuce in a controlled environment is a significant benefit to the customer as prices and quality can remain stable.
Consumption of fancy lettuces and herbs continues to rise, and consumers are demanding fresher, better quality, and safer produce. Food safety is at the forefront of thinking with today’s consumer. They want and expect food that is not laden with harmful chemicals. Controlled environment agriculture allows safe, biological control over insects and disease and reduces or eliminates the need for harmful chemicals.
The unpredictability of weather and climategive further reasons for the increased use of controlled environment agriculture and hydroponics. As this weather trend continues and more climatic changes occur, indoor farming will become more prevalent and more necessary.