with roots wrapped by a bit of soil. Each lettuce plant rests on the trough, with roots poking through holes cut in the base of the trough. “It’s called living lettuce,” Stern says. The farm grows green and red leaf lettuce and butterhead. He plans to add cut baby greens, filling a large demand. Hydroponic plants may grow using only water and a nutrient-based solution, or there may be a little bit of soil, like that found in plugs, according to the University of Maryland Extension Service. Stern says he and his partners considered vertical farming, a form of hydroponics that uses mostly water and nutrients. They decided against it, however, because it
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requires more lights and water, which makes it cost more. “So, we thought that even though this is not as sexy, the margins are there,” he says. “The four of us are pretty focused on eating healthy.” They bought the land, which is served by well water, and built a greenhouse. Right now, plants cover over 40,000 square feet, but there’s room to grow. The partners eventually plan to have 600,000 square feet of plant space in greenhouses. “It’s not an insignificant amount of lettuce,” Stern says. They sell to food retailers and distributors in the D.C. metro area as well as to some restaurants as far as New York.
“I can’t tell you that for many years before this, I ever imagined I would become a farmer,” Stern says. He drives to Frederick from his home in Washington to work in the greenhouse, keeping the enterprise going with 10 employees. A nutrient filtration system keeps the plants watered. Using gravity, water is sent through metal pipes to the plants and fed to the roots. The well water helps keep water expenses down. By using a tiny amount of soil, weeds don’t form. “One of the biggest benefits of indoor growing is that instead of different grow times for summer and winter, every day is the same,” Stern says. That makes it easier to grow a consistent crop, one that’s not affected by drought or other factors. A computer controls the greenhouse temperature, typically between 42 and 80 degrees, and lettuce grows well in that temperature range, Stern says. Supplemental lights are used as needed in winter and covers protect the plants when the summer sun bakes down. Fans run to disperse humidity and prevent mold. “Computer controls help to make it like a factory in terms of efficiency,” Stern says. “Many clients prefer ordering from a single source throughout the year, and hydroponic farming makes that possible in places like Frederick,” he says.