The vision for The Farm at Ridgebury is grounded in environmental stewardship.  The industrial agriculture that is so prevalent across the country and in our supermarkets is harmful to our environment and in many cases our own health.  By design, hydroponics counteracts many of the negatives of the industrial culture as the need for chemical fertilizers is eliminated.  This is beneficial since fertilizers are often over- or misused and subsequently leach into groundwater and runoff into bodies of water.  Hydroponics is a closed loop system thereby greatly reducing the amount of water needed for crops and minimizing water waste.  Using a shipping container for growing, we will not have the land footprint or mechanization of industrial farms.  Carbon emissions for transporting food over great distances is a significant contributor to climate change.  As we partner with local farmers, consumers, diners, and schools, we will be shrinking the carbon footprint of the food produced.

Microgreens can be grown quickly and abundantly with harvests generally occurring 10-14 days after germination.  By doing this in a converted shipping container, we can grow them year-round, regardless of the weather.

At a time when we have more knowledge and technology at our fingertips than any time in history, we have an almost epidemic level of unhealthiness and loneliness in our communities.