BELL CITY — When Steve Hamra was looking for a way to justify farming full- time, he turned to new technology.
The former teacher and Sikeston resident looked into hydroponics — growing plants without soil. For the past five years, he and other staff at Hamra Farms have dabbled in the process and this year, took the operation up in quantity. “We wanted to do something with the farm to retain cash flow in the offseason,” said Hamra, owner of Hamra Farms. The farm’s greenhouses are located near Bell City.
Grown in the greenhouses are heads of bibb lettuce, cucumbers, bell peppers and tomatoes.
Right now, the only item — and primary focus — is the bibb lettuce, although Hamra said he hopes to have the other items available by mid-May. The lettuce has a lot of people talking, he said.
“People aren’t used to seeing that in stores,” said Hamra. Iceberg lettuce is more common — and also a bit less expe
nsive.
“I’ll never be able to compete with iceburg lettuce,” Hamra said of price. It’s comparable, or lower, than other leaf lettuces, he said.
Hamra can compete with others when it comes to taste and nutrition values, however.
That’s partially due to the growing process — which is organic. “There are no pesticides or herbicides and you don’t have any crop residue,” said Hamra. It’s a homegrown taste, and the seeds are top quality, he said.
“And the freshness is going to be a whole lot better,” said Hamra. It stays good for about two weeks, he added.
According to the Web site www.hydroponics.com, the process can also be called “controlled environmental agriculture” — which means the gardener determines everything usually up to Mother Nature. Through hydroponics, the physiological needs of plants are met without the use of soil or natural sunlight.
In Hamra’s operation, 200 seeds of a type of produce are planted in flats, he explained. In three or so days, it germinates. Within two weeks, the leaves and roots have grown enough for the cubes to be transplanted to the troughs — tubes that water and other nutrients run through.
“Basically, you’re just talking piping and guttering,” said Hamra.
Within 35 to 40 days from the time the seeds are planted, the heads are ready to be packaged.
But first, staff trims any bad leaves or areas — being quite particular in the process, Hamra said.
“I want our products to have the best taste for the money,” he continued. “Every head isn’t perfect, but we try to make it so it’s all presentable.” The process will be similar for other produce. Hamra said there may be some field-raised crops available, but will have the same standards — that is, be grown organically, without chemicals.
And the organic food is something oncologists and other health professionals recommend, said Hamra, because it is healthier and chemical-free.
“It seems like the hydroponics is really catching on — people are getting more familiar with the process,” said Hamra.
It is a hot seller at McKinnie’s Bestway, said co-owner Karen McKinnie. “The customers love it,” she said. “We can hardly keep it in stock.”
Once other produce is available, the store plans to stock it, said McKinnie. She said now that word is getting around about the product, there is an even higher demand. “They love the fact that it is a local person and locally grown,” said McKinnie. “And we’re very excited and glad to have it here — we also want to support local farmers.”
The produce will be available soon in Schnucks stores from St. Louis to Memphis, Tenn., and Hamra said he plans to work with other retailers to make it available throughout the area.
Those in food preparation also use the lettuce — because it is local and fresh. “It’s wonderful,” said Susie Kenedy, owner of Susie’s Bake Shoppe in Sikeston. “It can’t get any fresher than that, because it comes straight from the greenhouse to the table.”
That’s important to her, because several diners come there because of the salads’ freshness, said Kenedy. “The taste is delicious, and the freshness is above all the other kinds I could get.”
Youngsters also love the taste, pointed out Hamra. His children, in fact, will take a head of lettuce and eat it without salad dressing, he said.
Hydroponics is widely used in Europe, said Hamra. That’s because there isn’t as much farmland available there — something he predicts will happen in the U.S. in the near future. From a land conservation standpoint, it takes substantially less land for the amount of crop produced.
Right now, all of the operations are in one greenhouse. A second is under construction and Hamra plans to have four — one for each type of produce. Produce will be outputted year-round.
