Hydro-Stackers Help "Pick Your Own" Business Thrive

Hydro-Stackers Help "Pick Your Own" Business Thrive FARM HOME Food 34-2-15 Hydro-Stacker vertical grow pots let Dennis Knutson, Newark, Ill., grow the equivalent of 5 acres of strawberries on just 1/4 acre of land. The 4 1/2-ft. tall hydroponic planters are planted with about 15,000 strawberry plants. Yields are tremendous, and customers at the pick-your-own operation like to be able to pick berries from a standing position. The everbearing plants Knutson grows start producing fruit in mid June and keep producing until the end of October. Best of all, the growers say the system produces a great-tasting berry, unlike many hydroponic crops that people are familiar with, like tomatoes. Knutson and his father-in-law built a 3.3 acre pond on their farm to provide water for the berries. They add organic fertilizer and a solution to lower PH level, as favored by the berries. In the winter, they shut down the water and allow the plants to die. They replant in April. Six weeks later, they've got berries. Knutson says this system prevents ground born diseases and insects. The pots are filled with perlite and vermiculite. Knutson says two workers can plant 15,000 plants in less than a week. The Knutson operation is near Chicago so there's a big demand in the area for fresh fruits and vegetables. They have a total of 12 acres in production, mostly in apples. They produce 20 different types of home-baked pies for sale, as well as 60 different jams, 10 pickle types, and pickled beets. They also sell Hydro-Stackler planter units. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dennis Knutson, Newark, Ill. (ph 815 557-4429; www.knutsonsharvest.com).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.