Neha and Farm Storey’s mission is to simplify hydroponics cultivation for everyone. “I have a background in design, and I always cared about sustainability,” says Neha. She is based out of India, and she says that it is very difficult for people to grow their own food at home in an affordable way. Hydroponics addresses that, yet not everyone is knowledgeable about that. That’s not the only reason why hydroponics is not much widespread in India though. “One of my goals was to make hydroponics affordable so that people can easily adapt it in their daily lives without having to spend a fortune on it,” she points out. “Because of the high entry barrier, people hesitate to take up hydroponics as a hobby.”
Hydroponics and bamboo
That’s where Neha and Farm Storey come into play. She has created this hydroponic system made out entirely of bamboo. “The main priority was to make this super user-friendly,” she points out. “Once you bring this home, you can start growing right away.” The choice of using bamboo as the material is always based on the strive for sustainability that characterizes Neha. She also explains that Indian customers also don’t think positively of plastics generally speaking, let alone for growing greens. “So, I use bamboo. It doesn’t only look nice and it’s sustainable, but it also kind of give away the feeling that it’s easy to grow in there.”
The Farm Storey’s hydroponic system comes in different dimensions and sizes so to fit in any household. Many different crops can be grown in there, not only herbs and leafy greens, but also some fruiting vegetables and fruits, like broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, or even strawberries. “I have made this system to be as flexible as possible to allow people to grow whatever they like,” she says. This is a crucial point in a market that is not much knowledgeable about hydroponics. “In India, the market is such that not a lot of people are aware of hydroponics at the moment. When I initially showed my prototypes, I received extremely positive feedback, and I was happy to see people excited to try out hydroponics.”
Flexible use
While the concept of a home-growing hydroponic system is not particularly unique, the fact that Farm Storey’s system is done with bamboo makes it one-of-a-kind. “The technology was there, so I incorporated that into a different material, giving the system an efficient and user-friendly structure.”
Although this system has been proved to work in households and in the hospitality sector, Neha is now looking to trial its use in commercial settings. “I am in talks with large growers to see how feasible is to grow with my system in commercial settings,” she points out. “The farmers that saw it showed great interest in a bamboo hydroponic system.” Putting such a system into a greenhouse, for instance, would greatly support growers with their effort for sustainability. Before that is fine-tuned, people can start growing their greens at home hydroponically. “I see younger generations caring a lot about the quality of the food they eat, as well as environmental sustainability. With my bamboo hydroponic system, they can finally do this easily, and sustainably.”
For more information:
Farm Storey
Email: farmstorey0@gmail.com
Website: www.farmstorey.com