As an organic farmer I could not pass up sharing this awesome, “Food Rising Mini-Farm Grow Box“, to grow your own food hydroponically.  Not just hydroponically, but non-circulating hydroponics!  Meaning, you do not need electricity to grow yummy organic fruits, vegetables and herbs.

Non-Circulating Hydroponics

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This is a pretty ingenious system since most systems, on the market, are quite elaborate and require electricity.

The original invention is found in the teachings of Dr. Hideo Imai of the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC) and Dr. B. A. Kratky of the University of Hawaii.  They both studied the innovative non-circulating plant growth strategies developed in Taiwan, and has been modernized with simplicity by Mike Adams.

Having a non-circulating hydroponic grow system is a great option for the survival prepper or someone that is not quite sure about taking the full blown farming plunge.

Mini-Farm Grow Box

The Food Rising Mini-Farm Grow Box was created with many considerations in mind.  It is simple to use (no green thumb necessary), no transplanting, no weeding (Yay!), you can put it on a table to save your back and so much more.

It comes with everything you need to grow your own food, except sunlight, seeds and water.

Why You Need To Grow Your Own Food

If you live in the city or in the suburbs, without a growing spot, then this is a must “check it out” for you.  Growing your own food saves you money, and gives you healthy living food when you need and want it.  You don’t have to run out to the store to buy product that may be one to three weeks old.  Consider this, the produce has to be harvested, boxed and shipped to the grocery store; so it can be that old by the time it stocked on the shelves.  You have to ask yourself, what are they doing to this produce to make it stay “fresh”?  Fumigation, GMO or unpronounceable waxes?  As a side note:  If you cannot pronounce an ingredient in your food, it is not good for you (generally).

Let Us Look At Some Of The Features

• Power failures – No problem, you will not be needing power.  Unlike hydroponics or aquaponics which rely on electricity to keep your plants (and fish!) alive.

• Mini-Farm Grow Box is the ultimate “survival food grow system” for prepper’s.

• Works everywhere there’s sunlight.

• Seeds are planted directly into the growing medium, so there’s no transplanting required. Grow Boxes can be easily stationed indoors, near a window, or they can easily be moved outdoors when or if desired.

• Grow lights are not part of the Grow Box system, but it is fully compatible with Hydrofarm brand light systems.

The Hard Life of Farming

In farming the traditional way (organic and in the earth) there are many lessons and hard work, but for those of us who love farming, it is VERY satisfying.

• Preparing the soil in a way that will make the plants thrive.  To this day spinach has been a royal pain for us.  Even local farmers are turning to Malabar Spinach which is thriving in the TN soil, but is in no way the kind of spinach that most of us are used to.

• Many long days of weeding.  The weeds never give up!  There really is no good organic weed killer on the market.  Hand weeding is really the best way to go.  On the bright side, all the sweating that we do, helps our bodies cleanse out toxins. 😀

• Squashing bugs!  Just the other day, I had to use my whole hand to squash a massive

  

  Who Let the Bugs Out! https://extension.entm.purdue.edu

  amount of young squash bugs on my Zucchini plants.  Yuk!  No, I don’t wear gloves.  I can not stand having my hands sweating in a glove.  I just rub my hands through some plush grass, and viola, all clean…at least until I can get into the house to use soap and water. ;>

• Heavy lifting – especially when the sweet potatoes are ready for harvesting.

Who Else Would the Mini-Farm Grow Box be Good for?

If you are the type of person that just can not get your head around doing all that is required to farm or garden, then the Mini-Farm Grow Box is for you.  I was that person many years ago, and if this system was available back in those days, I may have never started farming.  Back then, the thought of putting my hands in dirt was out of the question.  Oh, and don’t even think I was going to touch a bug!  My mom told me, “One day you will enjoy gardening”, I told her she was crazy.  Well, she was right after all!  Who’d a thunk it!

Closing Tips

If you do decide to purchase the Mini-Farm Grow Box, then I would like to share with you some tips for growing bug free plants.  Some are much easier to control on a small scale.

• If you notice any type of fly hanging around your plants, don’t ignore them, check them out because they  infest your food.  The sooner you rid the plants of any bugs, the better your food will thrive.  Aphids are one of the biggest culprits on green leafy vegetables.  Here’s a cool pest identifying website:  Nature’s Control

• Have an 8 oz. spray bottle on hand and fill it with three quarters water and the rest with castile soap (like Dr. Bronner’s) or get some garden Neem.  That’s what we use.  Add some essential oils for a more powerful mix.  Cedarwood, Orange and Lavender essential oils seem to take top bill.  1/4 teaspoon (to an 8 oz. bottle) of one essential oil or a 1/4 teaspoon of a blend of essential oils.  When using essential oils it is best to use stainless steel measuring spoons; some oils can melt the plastic ones.

• No organic garden is complete with out DE (Diatomaceous Earth).  DE is basically fossilized, single-cell organisms, that took thousands of years to form.  DE usually comes in a white-chalky like powder, but we’ve gotten it in a grainy form for the animals.  Namely, our chickens.  DE is awesome to have around because anything that has a shell, the DE will cut it.  Also, it will dehydrate the biting pests, like fleas.

I could go on and on writing about all these natural solutions, but I’ve given you some ideas to work with.  So I encourage you to check out the Mini-Farm Grow Box if you’re in one of those situations above.

I thank you for reading, and if you have any questions, comments or critiques (kindly done), please leave them below.  I will be glad to get back with you. 

Peace,

Josette