Drought conditions across Minnesota are having a significant impact on farmers, growers and other crop producers. But for hydroponic growers like Revol Greens in Medford, the lack of rain is not as much of an issue.
In a hydroponic system, plants like lettuce and herbs are grown without soil, and Revol vice president of sales and marketing Brendon Krieg says Revol operates a 10-acre greenhouse that uses a hybrid hydroponic system — meaning they use some soil to grow crops.
Because it is a closed system, Krieg says they save a lot of water.
“We grow with 90 to 95 less water than traditional field growing,” he said. “There is no waste in the hydroponic system, so all the water that we bring into the facility and used for growing the product is taken up by the actual product. The only water that really leaves our facility is in the form of the lettuce and product that we grow.”
Krieg says most of the water it uses for growing crops is rainwater and snowmelt collected off of the greenhouse’s roof, and despite the drought, the company hasn’t needed to dip into its backup well water this summer.
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