AIO Food and Energy Assistance announce the successful beginning of a fundraising campaign for the implementation of year-round hydroponic growing. This campaign is the result of a partnership with, and being spearheaded by, a newly forming nonprofit organization, Long Table Wellness, with a mission to inspire the community; ensure year-round, fresh food; and promote planetary and personal wellness through innovations in the integration of ecologically-designed agricultural systems, architectural spaces, and local economies.
Through the generous support of those who attended the kickoff event last month, this partnership has already raised more than $6,000 to bring a Freight Farm unit (freightfarms.com) to the AIO campus in Rockland. “In a nutshell, a Freight Farm marries an idea from one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – the Hanging Gardens of Babylon – with innovative modern technology – LED lighting, water pumping, computer software, insulation, and HVAC equipment,” said AIO, in a news release.
The result is a 40-foot shipping container fitted out with the potential to grow more than three tons of greens, lettuce, herbs, flowers, and root vegetables each year. For every year that this yield potential is met, 1/3 of the value of the produce will cover operating costs, leaving 2/3 of the value to feed people for free.
“This is truly a ‘teaching people to fish’ kind of a project, and not just an endless handout of ‘free fish (or lettuce, as the case may be),’” said AIO.
Read more at penbaypilot.com