Ngo-2011, abangani u-Tim Ryan no-John Bonner bakha indawo yokushisa ukushisa engu-300-square-foot e-Burton, e-Ohio, ngenhloso yokuba umhlinzeki wendawo, ohlanzekile, wonyaka wonke wamalethisi aphilayo namakhambi. Umphumela waba Great Lakes Abalimi, futhi isithakazelo emikhiqizweni yabo safika ngokushesha futhi sithukuthele.
“Besifuna ukunciphisa amamayela okuthutha ukudla (njengoba iningi lemikhiqizo manje selivela oGwini LwaseNtshonalanga), sihlinzeke ngemikhiqizo ehlanzekile kunaleyo eyenziwa ngemikhiqizo etshalwe ensimini futhi silawule imvelo endaweni ebamba ukushisa ukuze sivumele isivuno esingaguquki,” uRyan. kusho. “Ifilosofi yethu ilula: ukuhlinzeka ngekhwalithi ephezulu kakhulu, entsha, umkhiqizo ohlanzekile unyaka wonke esifundeni saseGreat Lakes. Imikhiqizo yethu iyaphila, ibanika impilo yeshalofu engenakuqhathaniswa kubathengi nabapheki bezindawo zokudlela.”
Ngokushesha kakhulu, isidingo sidlula ukunikezwa futhi abalimi be-hydroponic banquma ukunweba - okokuqala kuya ku-3,000 wamafidi-skwele, kwase kuba ngamafidi-skwele ayi-10,000 futhi manje indawo eyi-60,000-square-foot egcwele ngohlelo oluzenzakalelayo lwe-NFT (Nutrient Film Technique).
"Sinqume ukukhula ngenxa yesidingo samakhasimende ... sadayiswa ngokuphelele endaweni yethu yamanje, futhi ngenkathi senyuse inani lethu lezinyawo ngamaphesenti angama-50, saphinda kabili umthamo wethu wokukhiqiza ngoba manje sesitshala amakhambi ekwandeni kwethu, akhula. ngokushesha kunolethisi futhi kuthathe indawo encane,” kusho uRyan. “Manje sesiyakwazi ukutshala ulethisi namakhambi anezidingo zawo ezihambisana nezinga lokushisa, imisoco, njll.
Namuhla, Abalimi Bamachibi Amakhulu bangakhulisa amakhanda e-ulethisi ayizigidi ezingu-1.4 ngonyaka, nesikhala esanele esitholakalayo sokwandisa imisebenzi ibe ngamamitha-skwele angu-450,000 kanye namakhanda e-ulethisi ayizigidi ezingu-18.
Indawo yakhona enkulu yokukhula ibe ku-lettuce ophilayo opakishiwe, ohlinzeka ngempilo yeshelufu yamasonto amabili kuya kwamathathu futhi ivumela amakhasimende ezifundazweni eziningi ukuthi athenge imikhiqizo.
Kokubili isidingo sabathengi kanye nokwenyuka kwenzalo evela ezimbonini ezidayisa ukudla kanye nezinsiza zokusiza laba ababili benze lokhu kutshalwa kwezimali okubalulekile.
"Cishe sithengisa amaphesenti angama-30 omkhiqizo ezindaweni zokudlela kanye namaphesenti angama-70 ezitolo ezithengisayo," kusho uRyan. “Sisezifundeni eziningi kulo lonke elaseMidwest futhi sisebenzisa abahlinzeki bensizakalo yokudla ukulethwa kwezindawo zokudlela. Siqondisa ukudiliva ezitolo zasendaweni futhi sihlelele amakhasimende athengisa ngamaloli amancane ukudiliva.”
Ukuthola ulwazi
Ukumataniswa kukaBonner noRyan bekuyifanela kahle indawo yokushisa.
UBonner wakhulela epulazini lomndeni elingamahektare angama-30 endaweni, elalinommbila, ubhontshisi wesoya kanye nezindawo zokugcina izithombo. Ugogo wakhe wayengumsunguli weBurton Floral and Garden, umsabalalisi omkhulu wezolimo eMidwest. UBonner uthole iziqu zokuphatha ibhizinisi futhi waphatha indlu yokushisa yomndeni wakhe iminyaka eyisithupha, ngaphambi kokuqala iGreat Lakes nomngane wakhe.
Futhi wakhulela endaweni, uRyan wathola iziqu ze-bachelor kusayensi yezombangazwe kanye neziqu ze-masters ekuphathweni kwebhizinisi, wabe eseqhubeka nokusebenza iminyaka engaphezu kweshumi nambili e-Swagelok Co. yaseSolon, e-Ohio, ecija amakhono akhe ebhizinisi.
Enye yezimali ezinkulu kakhulu zabatshali be-Great Lakes Growers kwakusohlelweni lwayo lwe-NFT, oluzungeza kabusha umfudlana wesisombululo somsoco ezimpandeni zezitshalo, kuncishiswe ukumosheka kwamanzi nezakhi kuyilapho ivumela isivuno esikhulu esivela endaweni encane. Lokhu kwaba yinto eyasiza ukugcina i-greenhouse yenza inzuzo kusukela ekuqaleni.
Noma kunjalo, kukhona ijika lokufunda likaRyan noBonner njengoba bethola ezinye izici zebhizinisi.
"Isifundo esibaluleke kakhulu esisifundile ekukhuleni kwe-ulethisi namakhambi enyakatho-mpumalanga ye-Ohio ukuthi nakuba sinesikhungo sesimanje, izici zemvelo zisadlala indima enkulu," kusho uRyan. “Inani lokukhanya kwelanga elingokwemvelo esilitholayo linomthelela omkhulu ekukhuleni nakwikhwalithi. Yize singakhula umkhiqizo osezingeni eliphezulu unyaka wonke, izinyanga zasehlobo zisinika umbala ongcono nokukhiqiza, futhi ukuthola ukuthi singakuphindaphinda kanjani lokhu phakathi nezinsuku ezibandayo/ezimfishane zasebusika kuzohamba ibanga elide ekusisizeni siphumelele.”
Ngokwesibonelo, basheshe bafunda ukuthi ezinye izinhlobo zikalethisi zikhiqiza isivuno esikhulu, esiseqophelweni eliphezulu lapho sichayeka ekukhanyeni okuhlukile, kuyilapho amanye amakhambi akhula aqine futhi asheshe abe nomswakama ophansi.
Maqondana nalokho, u-Ryan ubiza ukukhanyisa okungeziwe njengendawo enkulu yamathuba Abakhiqizi Bamachibi Amakhulu njengamanje, futhi bahlola i-LED namanye amasu okukhanyisa ukuze basize ukunquma indlela yokunciphisa umthelela wezinsuku ezimfushane phakathi nezinyanga zasebusika.
“Kunokulinganisela okuqhubekayo okudingeka sikulondoloze, futhi izindawo zethu ezintsha zizosivumela ukuba sinikeze lolo hlobo lokunaka komuntu ngamunye ezitshalweni zethu, okuzogcina silethe umkhiqizo ongcono kumakhasimende ethu,” esho. I-greenhouse ayisebenzisi ama-herbicides amakhemikhali, angcono kuwo wonke umzimba kanye nemvelo, kusho uRyan.
"Ngenxa yokuthi izitshalo zethu zithola inani elifanele lamanzi nezakhamzimba, zikhula ngokungaguquguquki kanye nekhwalithi engcono ngenkathi zilondoloza izinsiza - ngesikhathi esifushane," esho. Futhi njengoba sikhula endaweni elawulwa yisimo sezulu, yonke into isesikhathini sonyaka wonke. Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengoba umkhiqizo wethu uvela khona lapha e-Ohio esikhundleni sokuthi uthunyelwe usuka eNingizimu-ntshonalanga ye-US noma e-Mexico, usha futhi umnandi ngendlela emangalisayo uma ufika emfolokoni wakho.”
Esikhathini esizayo
URyan ujabulile ukuthi inkampani yakhe ingakwazi ukweseka umphakathi wendawo ngokuhlinzeka ngemisebenzi, futhi ulindele ukuthi lokho kuqhubeke njengoba iminyaka ihamba. IGreat Lakes Growers inabalingani abalinganayo besikhathi esigcwele abangaba ngu-15 ku-greenhouse kanye nabashayeli ababili noma abathathu, kuye ngesidingo. Yengeze abasebenzi abasha abambalwa selokhu kwandiswa, futhi izoba nesidingo sabanye abambalwa kuye ngokuthi imizamo yokuzenzakalela iqhubeka kanjani.
Uma ubheka phambili, uRyan ulindele ukuthi Abalimi Bamachibi Amakhulu ukuthi baqhubeke nokwandisa indawo yabo kanye neminikelo.
“Sihlela ukuqhubeka nokukhula kwethu phakathi neminyaka emithathu kuya kwemihlanu ezayo, senze amasu azosenza sinciphise umthelela wokushintsha kwesimo sezulu,” usho kanje. "Sithemba ukuthi sizoba umhlinzeki oyedwa wolethisi namakhambi amasha, anomsoco kakhulu atholakala eMidwest."
- Keith Loria, VGN intatheli