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Locally grown vegetables rely on technologyPONCA CITY, Okla. (AP)--Hydroponics and aquaponic technologies are an attractive solution for some agricultural woes, and the future of hydroponics appears more positive today than any time in the past. Locally, that technology is being used by Dave Inselman of Kygar Road Market. Agritourism has become an expanding sector of the agriculture market and Inselman's hydro and aquaponic greenhouses fit the bill. He received his first permit for the business in 1999. His 2,500-pound winter crop of hybrid tomatoes sells for $2.65 a pound, and for good reason. Technology isn't cheap and with today's rising fuel, freight and utility costs, the products using these reflect in the price to the consumer. That said, the tomatoes, herbs and other products sold by Inselman have a quality all their own. Foremost is the taste and availability. Inselman says most tomatoes are transported by commercial growers in the "breaker" stage, with just a blush of red to turn full color off the vine in the supermarkets. Another advantage to buying fresh tomatoes from a local source is that they are ripened on the vine. An advocate of "Made in Oklahoma" products, Inselman is an entrepreneur who has immersed himself in the concept. He grows tomatoes and cucumbers in his hydroponics greenhouses and sweet basil, oregano, rosemary, basil, chives, lemon balm, lemon grass, watercress, parsley and tarragon, Bibb lettuce and other vegetables in his aquaponic greenhouse, all located on 3 1/2 acres. He is currently expanding and rearranging his greenhouses. As he puts it, recycling is part of his lifestyle. In this instance, the tomatoes that didn't get purchased and are overripe are fed to the chickens and the ducks, and the chickens eventually become a meal for the owners. Inselman is also involved in the Oklahoma Food Cooperative and his market is a pickup point for the co-op products. The co-op offers fresh, locally grown produce, meats, grains, fruits and more sold by an order-delivery system based on the Web site and a network of members and volunteers across the state. The market is run on an honor system and products are clearly marked with the price. Inselman's pickles and gourmet treats are made with his recipe and produced through a co-packer using his label. Also available with his label are jars of asparagus, garlic nuggets, garlic mustard, jalapenos and popcorn. He says he prepares a lot of thank-you and corporate "Made in Oklahoma" baskets utilizing state products. Items in the market include microwave potato bakers, jams and jellies, utensils, chili mixes, Head Country products, Bickle salsa spices, barbecue sauces, Oklahoma State and University of Oklahoma items, candy and much more, in addition to tomatoes. He also has a selection of green tomatoes for those who enjoy the fried vegetable. He said raised beds are being planned to grow some vegetables in soil for sale at the market during the summer. A background in sprinkling systems served Inselman well when it came time to jump into the hydro and aquaponic business. "I wanted to raise shrimp and started doing research, but didn't have the great amount of money needed for such an operation; so I turned to aquaponics. It kind of rang my bell," he said. From there, the hydroponics seemed a natural leap. Hydroponics is a technology for growing plants in an artificial medium using water containing fertilizers. It is a method that conserves water and land, protects the environment and is highly productive. Inselman uses what is called passive sub-irrigation. The process begins with seeds getting a headstart in a small greenhouse. The seeds cost 35 cents apiece. The seedlings are then cleaned of soil and transplanted to coir, a coco peat, which is left over after the fibers have been removed from the outer shell of the coconut. A natural growing medium, it arrives in a compressed brick form in a black plastic bag and expands with water. The seedlings planted in coir are then hooked up to an irrigation system that provides water and fertilizer. They are placed in two-bay greenhouses and a system of pipes is used to support the heavy vines as they grow. The 40 to 50 foot vines are wrapped around the base of the 2,500 plants growing in rows and carefully pruned, cleaned and stripped of some leaves on a daily basis. The plants are placed in July and grown for a year. Bugs are controlled with natural spray and predatory insects. Pollination occurs through bees that Inselman buys. The hive is replaced every 11 weeks at a cost of $200. Aquaponics is the cultivation of plants in an re-circulating environment that uses fish waste as fertilizer. It is a system that offers several advantages, including conservation through constant water reuse and recycling, organic fertilization of plants with natural fish emulsion and the elimination of solid waste disposal from intensive aquaculture. Using such a system also reduces the need for cropland. Again, the initial startup expenses make this expensive to begin. There is also the cost of fish, fish food and heating. Inselman tried wood-burning stoves last year and is looking for a more economical and less labor-intensive process. Inselman uses pea gravel that includes beneficial bacteria to break down and micro-filter the fish waste that is pumped from individual tanks to grow stations. He uses a multi-gallon tank and several individual tanks to hold koi. The individual tanks provide water and fertilizer to plants in gravel and to plants which are grown in water as they float on a plastic foam raft in a barrel. A plant like a head of Bibb lettuce will have a strand of roots more than one foot long in the water. The advantages of using a controlled environment like Inselman's hydroponics and aquaponic greenhouses is the ability to grow premium quality produce using a minimum of space, water and fertilizer. 6/9/08 Date: 5/30/08
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