Food Production

The GrowHaus is committed to provding an abundance of organic food year-round with a minimum of inputs. Our growing operations are separated into two spaces: the Hydrofarm is a commercial facility designed to maximize yield for our neighbors and generate earned income, while Growasis is a demonstration farm for education and food security.

Hydrofarm

The Hydrofarm is a state-of-the-art, 5,000 square foot commercial farm that will grow fresh leafy greens for distribution throughout Elyria-Swansea and other local restaurants and markets. Renovations on the Hydrofarm are nearly complete, and our first harvest is scheduled for Fall 2011.

Produce in the Hydrofarm will be grown organically using hydroponics, a technique that employs a recirculating nutrient solution instead of soil to achieve fast, reliable yields. Hydroponics uses up to 90 percent less water than commercial organic farming, and is able to attain per-square-foot yields many times greater. The climate of the Hydrofarm space as well as watering schedules, pH, and fertilizer levels are all automatically controlled by computerized systems.

Once it is fully operational, we will be able to grow approximately 5,000 plants at a time, with a harvest every 30 to 60 days. Some of the crops grown will be distributed at an affordable price to Elyria-Swansea residents through corner stores and our own farmstand, while the remainder will be high-value crops grown for restaurants and specialty markets.

Growasis

Growasis is our hands-on demonstration farm where we host year-round public workshops, service learning events, and community programming. Growasis currently consists of 1,000 square feet in a corner of our greenhouse, where we have been able to perform basic renovations. It contains the following elements:

• Two aquaponics systems, where we raise fish and plants together in a recirculating high-yield setup
• Commercial production of microgreens, young plants that are high in nutrition and flavor
• Community plots for residents of Elyria-Swansea to grow produce year-round
• A large-scale vermicomposting system to process newspapers, food scraps, and other organic waste into high-quality worm castings
• Seasonally-available space rental for third parties to grow seedlings and other edible plants

Over the next year, we will be conducting a community-led design process and renovating a further 6,000 square feet of our facilities to greatly expand the capacity of Growasis Farm. Once complete, this space will include a "living classroom" with teaching kitchen, tropical perennial plants, additional community growing space, and more.