The June Community Forum is a discussion of hydroponic growing and will be presented Thursday, July 9, 2015, from 12 noon to 1 pm at 614 N. Bullard St. There is nothing crazy about the tomatoes that local grower Rick Bohart cultivates in his 30 foot by 60 foot greenhouse. Rick has been growing tomatoes using a hydroponic method for several years now, and sells out each Saturday at the Silver City Farmers Market. Customers are crazy for the tasty tomatoes and line up before the bell is rung to start selling, to be sure to get some. If they miss out, Rick also sells his tomatoes at the Co-op.

Rick is one of those curious and intelligent guys who just knows how to do everything. Rick was raised in Bisbee, AZ and Springfield, MO. He left home at 17 and has lived all over, and has done a lot of interesting jobs. He has been a bartender in Telluride, CO, and Houston, TX and recently retired from his own construction business. He lived in Alpine, TX doing construction for ranchers in that area, before discovering Silver City about twelve years ago.

Rick and his wife Laurie, an artist, now spend their days tending to 270 tomato plants. Greenhouse manager Little Boo, their American Pit Bullterrier, has her own chair in the greenhouse so she can oversee the work. Going into the greenhouse, one is immediately impressed with the technology. This is no kid's game. This is a commercial greenhouse. The plants are automatically watered, and a series of different cooling fans go on automatically for every 3 degree increase in temperature. One end of the greenhouse has an evaporative cooling system to help keep the tomatoes at an ideal temperature. Being in a greenhouse also means that Rick and Laurie have to hand pollinate the tomato flowers every other day. But this closed system also means less insects. It also means much less water. Rick uses about 30,000 gallons of water for a 10 month season compared to about 600,000 gallons needed for an acre and a half garden for 6 months.

Rick and other alternative greenhouse growers will be on hand at the July 9th Community Forum to explain the different methods for hydroponic greenhouse growing. Rick wants people to know that it is possible to grow your own food and it is more economical than you might think. Come to this Community Forum on July 9th from 12 noon to 1 pm at 614 N. Bullard and find out just how easy it is to grow your own food. You can become a backyard grower too!

The mission of the Silver City Food Co-op is to cultivate personal, community and environmental health by sustaining a cooperatively owned market. For more information, please contact the Co-op at (575) 388-2343, or visit our website www.silvercityfoodcoop.com.

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