Harvesting is underway for many farmers across the state, but others are losing their livelihoods to the drought. Farmer and Pristine Produce Owner Drew Steans said long-term stability sent him looking for alternative farming styles.
“Not everybody’s able to sustain the back-to-back years of drought and high heat,” Steans said. Thus, Drew started his hydroponic farm in September of 2022.
Nearly a year later, Steans said he’d harvested hundreds of pounds of produce and saved 95% more water than if he had planted them on a traditional farm. “You’d be lucky to get a percentage of that crop right now outdoors in this type of environment,” Steans said.
Steans said in his repurposed shipping container, where plants are growing vertically out of the wall linings that he’s got enough crops to take up three to four acres of a typical farm. He said one of the perks of hydroponic gardening is sustainability, something he sees in day-to-day operations and overall water usage.
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