Former full-time journalist Ramveer Singh from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, decided to quit his job and dedicate his time to his ancestral land to grow organic vegetables. “The farm is 40 km away from Bareilly, and I traveled to grow the vegetables and increase the production on the land,” he tells The Better India.
Eventually, Ramveeer started working as a freelance journalist and selling the organic farm produce commercially on the side. In 2017-18, he traveled to Dubai for an agriculture-related event and witnessed hydroponics farming. “I was enthralled with the farming method. It did not require soil and could be grown with less pest infestation."
Ramveer extended his stay and learned the farming techniques from the farmers for the next couple of weeks. After returning, he decided to experiment with the farming technique at home. His passion and love for hydroponics today have made him convert his three-story house into a hydroponics farm.
Ramveer started using pipes and other infrastructure to set up the hydroponics systems in his balcony and open spaces. “I installed two methods for the farm using Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) and Deep Flow Technique (DFT). At present, the farm is spread across 750 m2, hosting over 10,000 plants,” he adds.
He grows okra, chilies, capsicum, bottle gourd, tomatoes, cauliflower, spinach, cabbage, strawberry, fenugreek, and green peas. “I grow all seasonal vegetables with hydroponics. The system is designed using PVC pipes and circulates the water with the help of gravity. The arrangement ensures that about 16 nutrients such as magnesium, copper, phosphorus, nitrogen, zinc, and others reach the plants by introducing them in the flowing water. The method saves 90% use of water,” he explains.
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