Hydrogrow Farms Inc., located at Strong Hope, St. Thomas, Barbados is a project dedicated to the large scale production of vegetables by hydroponics. Hydroponics operates on the premise that soil is not essential to plant growth. It is a method of growing plants in greenhouses, using nutrient solutions instead of soil.

Construction of the greenhouses began in January of 2006. Initially there were five greenhouses, however with continual expansion Hydrogrow Farms now operates with twelve greenhouses and as well as additional agricultural land.

Mr. Christopher Ward, the company’s Managing Director, has a wealth of experience and has been instrumental in the success of Hydrogrow Farms from its inception. After cultivating over twenty years of experience in farming, Mr. Ward is able to effectively employ his extensive knowledge of both traditional and hydroponics techniques.

There are numerous advantages to using greenhouses and the hydroponics technique:

• The prevention of over and under watering
• Weeding is not required
• The use of pesticides is reduced
• Controlled application of nutrients
• Less water is needed than with outdoor irrigation of field crops
• Plants are grown utilizing reduced energy and space
• Products are free of disease, blemishes and bruises caused by outdoor elements
• Plant maturity can be more easily monitored
• Reduced crop loss through the interference of birds, animals and thieves
• Products can be available yearlong
• Use of technology in farming translates to locally grown produce that is cheaper than imported varieties. This will make purchases of vegetables more affordable to all consumers in the Caribbean

Vegetable varieties provided by Hydrogrow Farms reflect the current importation trends into Barbados. Irrigation methods used by the company result in reduced water consumption, as crops are irrigated through the collection of rainwater from the roofs of the greenhouses which is stored in 500,000 gallon tanks. Excess nutrient runoff is directed to the field, which significantly reduces wastage.

Hydrogrow Farms does not only use hydroponics, but traditional farming methods as well. Cabbages, pumpkins, watermelons, sweet corn, pole beans, beets, pigeon peas carrots and yams are grown using traditional farming techniques. Fruits and vegetables grown in the greenhouses include: seedless cucumbers; red, yellow and green bell peppers; salad and grape tomatoes; zucchinis

Hydrogrow Farms is the largest greenhouse operator on the island. It is known for, and prides itself, on producing consistently high quality fruits and vegetables. The objective of the company is to provide top quality vegetables at a reasonable price to the Caribbean public, while diversifying the traditional agricultural techniques in Barbados.