Food Pantry serves up fresh food from the tank

Supplying fresh greens at food pantries can be a problem at times due to limited refrigeration and other constraints.

But the Saukville Community Food Pantry has taken steps to help alleviate that issue by acquiring a hydroponics device that can produce heads of lettuce and other fruits and vegetables year-round inside the pantry.

The first crop of lettuce was harvested just in time for Thanksgiving from the 6-foot-tall Flex Farm Generation 4 made by Fork Farms LLC in Green Bay.

“Our first harvest gave us a total of 100 heads of lettuce. Some did not grow as well as we hoped but for the first time around we thought this was a great result,” pantry Executive Director Mark Gierach said.

The second crop of lettuce seedlings were planted last week in the pantry, which is in the basement of Parkside United Church of Christ in Saukville. 

It takes about 45 days before the crop is ready to harvest, Gierach said. 

“When we talk about our motto, ‘Fresh food, fresh hope for families,’ this is what we are constantly striving for, to bring fresh produce to families year round,” Gierach said.

The pantry acquired the “vertical farming” system in September. Its manufacturer says the device can grow more than 300 pounds of produce annually.

It’s also portable, only requires a standard electrical outlet and takes up less than 10 square feet of space.

The unit includes a self-contained water circulation system, an energy-efficient LED light tower and a submersible pump.

Lettuce seeds are planted in a flat bed with rockwool plugs. They are watered and put under grow lights 24 hours a day. When the seeds sprout, they are placed into the Flex Farm.

The lower part of the unit holds a water tank and water pump, which runs water through lines to the top of the unit so that the water drips down inside the walls, keeping the plugs wet as the plants continue to grow.

Nutrients are added to the water in liquid form to fertilize the plants. The pH of the water is monitored to prevent bacteria or algae forming.

Gierach said the pantry is hoping to add a second unit after the first of the year.

Each unit costs about $5,000. The first was purchased through a grant written by Feeding America, he said. 

“It is my hope to eventually be able to have three units so we can stagger the planting and grow a different vegetable in each one,” Gierach said.

“We can plant other foods as long as it is something that would normally grow above ground,” he added, mentioning spinach, tomatoes, green beans and even strawberries.

According to the Fork Farms website, the units are popular with school districts for their lunch programs, nonprofits such as food pantries and meal sites, and for private homes, especially where gardening space is hard to come by.