After seeing Netherland's agricultural success in indoor farming by using hydroponics, aquaponics, and vertical farming, we were inspired to create and experiment with these technologies to educate others and provide a sustainable approach to producing fresh vegetables. In our indoor component, we plan to use all three techniques which reduce the use of water (thousands of gallons each year) and pesticides which are not only detrimental to the environment but also affect the food that is produced. The most exciting one is the aquaponics unit because the plants will extract their nutrients from fish and their natural waste that goes into the water. We plan to breed native fish while producing food for the general public.
For the outdoor component, we plan to use vertical and horizontal farming to farm native plants only. The indoor component will take care of all the usual produce (tomato, spinach, etc) that usually use up too much water. With indoor farming technologies, we will save water while still providing these types of produce. We reserve half of the outdoor component to the native plants which naturally saves water and will be used as a learning opportunity for our residents. The other half will be vacant lots where SCV residents can purchase their own lot and crow their own plants. We will also include a “Do It Yourself” kit to help those that want to plant their own crops. Native plants should be more available because they thrive in the California weather so they are easier to maintain and are staples to our state's history.