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US: Using hydroponics to grow year-round in Alaska

On a recent December afternoon, Soldotna farmer Taylor Lewis preps for a day of harvesting crops. She walks to a tray filled with ripe lettuce and snips a head of it by the stem.

It's just one of about 900 plants that Taylor and her mother-in-law Jayme Lewis will harvest and process this week – despite freezing temperatures and slushy snow outside. That's because the duo works for Edgy Veggie, an indoor farm that grows produce year round.

"In the summer, a lot of our business drops off because folks are gardening at home. But in the winter, they're not, because it costs money to heat your greenhouse," Jayme said. "It costs a lot of money to heat your greenhouse."

The company is a hydroponic farm, meaning they grow plants without soil. Hydroponic systems recycle and reuse nutrient-filled water, which minimizes waste. Specially made lighting and climate-controlled conditions make it possible for Edgy Veggie to grow indoors during the winter months.

Read more at Alaska Public Media

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