Development and Operation of a Hydroponic Lettuce Research Laboratory

Grocery shoppers will typically pay more for produce that is guaranteed to be fresh. In fact, customers at farmer’s markets often pay twice as much as retail grocery shoppers for the same types of produce. When good management practices are used, family-operated greenhouse enterprises can profitably supply local markets with fresh produce year round, and hydroponic growing systems provide an ideal technology for producing vegetables that are to be marketed locally. In addition, although nutrient delivery methods and plant support media vary widely, most of these systems lead to reasonably good results. However, there is a big difference between a working system and one that is commercially successful.