Page 26 - Landscape-Issue126

FEATURE

A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE THROUGH

HYDROPONIC TECHNOLOGY

The Mr. Price Foundation’s HandPicked Programme is leading the way to a more

sustainable future with its agri-solution system. This empowers a new generation
of sustainable agri-preneurs and home growers through the use of hydroponic
technology and vertical farming.

Photo: Shamil – iStock

Coconut coir is an effective growing medium for Karen Wells, head of the Mr.Price Foundation, setting up the Vusi Mkhize, an ‘agripreneur’ from the Mr. Price
water retention. hydroponic gardens which foster sustainable agriculture Foundation, tends to the hydroponic garden

he HandPicked Programme teaches stronger yields and superior quality due to the most effective growing media for water
growers crop growth production, the reduced feeding strain on the plant. retention and can absorb up to ten times its
Tfarming and agriculture management, The Freshlife Produce team strived to weight in water. It is a waste product from
economics and agri-business. This create an Africanised version of hydroponics the primary coconut harvesting process and
knowledge equips the youth and technology by following these design rules: is also environmentally safe, very light when
communities with the skills to start and *the growing system must be a compact dried and compacted, and easy to transport.
manage their own agricultural businesses. kit that can be transported easily, anywhere; Most types of vegetables are suitable
It raises awareness around sustainable *it must be easy to build and operate; for growing via this method, including
agriculture. *it must have a high yield capacity. tomatoes, peppers, brinjals, lettuce, rocket,
The Mr. Price Foundation has partnered Through the application of these design spinach and herbs. The only vegetables
with The African Grower System and Freshlife approaches, the African Grower system was that work better in soil are tubers that grow
Produce to create a programme that developed. It is a vertical hybrid hydroponics under the soil’s surface.
promotes sustainable and environmentally system using coconut coir as a growing Because the coconut coir is so good at
friendly farming methods. This involves medium and controlled release fertiliser that absorbing water, the system needs only
planting crops in vertical towers using is mixed in on day one, and lasts for up to six 500ml of water per pot, per watering session.
coconut coir as the growing medium. The months. The added benefit of the vertical In summer, each tower must be watered
system is efficient and eco-conscious, using tower is that it allows a person to to grow at daily but in winter it can be stretched out
less water and space than traditional farming least twice as much in a square metre space to once every third day. The system has
methods, and maximising scarce resources as they would have in soil. The whole system been developed for manual watering but an
in urban and rural environments. is ideally suited to growers at home or in automated system can also be added.
The positive impact of the programme can bigger spaces, and the configuration of ‘food
already be seen in schools and communities hubs’ with ‘home growers’ around it fitted Collaboration
across the country where growing tunnels well with the Foundation’s aims to grow new The system is ideal for home growing but
have been installed. Since its inception, the businesses and assist households with their HandPicked City Farms recently launched
programme has trained 27 home growers, nutrition and food security needs. the largest rooftop farm at Kenilworth
facilitated ten tertiary students in its The African Grower consists of four pots Shopping Mall in Cape Town. This
internship programme and established three and four pipes (or cores) made from recycled installation is proving the commercial
agri-businesses. Six community farming hubs plastic. The pipes slide through the pots and viability of large-scale installations of the
have emerged, as well as a retail rooftop farm the combination of pots and cores then click technology.
at the Kenilworth Mall in Cape Town. into one another to form a tower. A suspension Freshlife Produce is the company that
rope can be run down the centre of the pipes developed and registered the design of
Hydroponics to enable the tower to be hung from any the African Grower system and is the main
This is the cultivation of plants where appropriate overhead fitting, or incorporated implementing partner of the Mr Price
the water in the system does the bulk of into a framework on the ground. Coconut coir Foundation HandPicked Programme. The
the work without using soil. Hydroponic is then placed inside the pots with controlled HandPicked team will be at KZN’s East Coast
flowers, herbs and vegetables are planted release fertiliser pellets and once this is done, Radio House + Garden Show from 1-9 July.
in growing mediums (other than soil) and planting can take place either with seedlings
supplied with nutrients (in the water) and or directly into the pots. Information and photos supplied by Rainmaker
oxygen. The system fosters rapid growth, Coconut coir was chosen as it is one of Marketing n

24 Landscape SA • Issue 126 2023