US: Hydroponic businesses grow after food-safety concerns, popularity of locally grown
"Actually, we eat a lot of salad," Mr. Banta said with a laugh. "There was no fresh (off-season) lettuce in Northeastern Pennsylvania. We knew there would be a market for it."
About 12 miles northeast of the Bantas' operation, Brian Schirg is pursuing a similar venture at his family's farm in West Abington Twp. Mr. Schirg built a hydroponic greenhouse in January 2012 and has been selling lettuce since last summer.
"I needed something for the Winter," said Mr. Schirg, who farms 45 acres of vegetables with his father, Jim, about 3 miles west of Dalton.
The family sells its produce at the Scranton Cooperative Farmers Market, but Mr. Schirg said he really had no post-growing-season income.
"That's why I wanted to branch out and do something," he said.
The emergence of two local hydroponic lettuce producers reflects the effects of food-safety concerns among consumers and the growing popularity of locally sourced products.
"There is certainly a local food movement gaining momentum, and it's good for local production," said Melissa Brechner, Ph.D., a hydroponic technology research director at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
Thousands of consumers have been sickened by E.coli and salmonella contaminations of spinach, scallions, chiles, cantaloupes and other fresh produce in recent years. The outbreaks have helped boost demand for local produce.
"Food safety is a concern," Dr. Brechner said.
"More and more people want fresh and local," Mrs. Banta said. "It's pesticide-free and everyone loves that."
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in inert material with water with mineral solutions, without soil. Both local operations use continuous-flow systems, which constantly circulate water and nutrients through tubes and covered plastic trays. They produce mature heads of lettuce about eight weeks after the seeds are started in rockwool, a growing medium made of stone and chalk.
Digging out the wallet
Last Spring, Mr. Banta left his job as a prison guard, his wife quit her nursing position and they put $300,000 into their startup, located at a landscaping and nursery business run by Mrs. Banta's family along Route 292.
"We have a lot of money invested here," Mr. Banta said. "It was pretty scary to start."
They had another scare about three weeks ago when they lost an entire lettuce crop to tipburn, a calcium deficiency. A problem with their nutrient mix and excess humidity in their greenhouse ruined thousands of heads of lettuce.
"It was crazy," Mrs. Banta said. "It was the beginning. We learned."
Mr. Schirg says he also is still learning.
"It's hard because it's the first year," he said.
"New growers don't imagine they will have any insects or disease," Dr. Brechner said. "You've got to have a backup plan. It's a tough business."
Mr. Schirg invested about $45,000 to start his operation, grows about 4,000 heads of bibb lettuce and cultivates and sells about 600 heads weekly from his 3,000-square-foot hydroponic greenhouse.
Both operations have computerized systems controlling air temperature, ventilation and liquid mixtures.
Mr. Schirg sells mostly to restaurants, small grocers and consumers. He built a base of customers at the farmers market last summer.
The Bantas, who produce bibb, romaine, red leaf and mixed lettuces, had to find customers.
"We took samples out to restaurants and supermarkets and introduced it that way," Mr. Banta said.
Their customers range from Hawley to Tunkhannock, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and Dallas, Mrs. Banta said. She works about four hours a day and her husband has put in 10-hour days since last July.
"This is very time-consuming," Mrs. Banta said.
Produce produced
Gerrity's Supermarket, which has stores in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties, sells about 250 heads of Rowlands lettuce weekly, Mrs. Banta said.
"The product is extremely fresh and it lasts forever in the refrigerator. It sells very well," said Joe Fasula, co-owner of Gerrity's Supermarket. "I'm excited about it. I think it's got a lot more potential."
Crops grown hydroponically generated more than $553 million in sales nationally in 2007, according to the latest US Department of Agriculture data. Pennsylvania produced the nation's third-largest revenue volume, valued at $14.2 million.
But Dr. Brenchner warns about the challenges of hydroponic agriculture.
"The operating costs are kind of high. We tell people they shouldn't plan on making a profit for the first year," she said. "You've got to be lucky. You've got to be a really good marketer. It's something that you have to enter into with caution."
Others are less skeptical.
John Esslinger, Lackawanna County Cooperative Extension educator, said there was pent-up demand for locally produced off-season lettuce.
"There's more room to grow," Mr. Esslinger said. "We bring in a lot of produce from around the country and outside the country during the winter."
The Bantas also see more potential. In the fall, they will open a sales stand and they plan to build a hydroponic greenhouse next year to grow tomatoes and cucumbers.
Source: thetimes-tribune.com/