Hydroponic Garden Systems

Since 2000, we have been using Hydroponic Gardening as a "live" display of systems, sub-systems and bio-technology. Hydroponic gardening is the growing of plants without soil, and because we grow our plants indoors, without natural sunlight. Each school year a team of students operate the hydroponic system. We usually grow "Salina Bibb Lettuce" and the students then market and sell the lettuce to the staff and parents of Ray Middle School. The funds are used to offset the cost for the students to attend Oswegatchie Camp the next summer.

The history of our efforts with Hydroponic gardening is show through a video on my TeacherTube site. The "old" NFT system was given to us during the 2000 school year by Mr. William Stowell and his FFA Chapter from South Jefferson High School. We replaced that system in 2007 with the Bonzai Wheel. The funding to purchase this system came from the family, friends and colleages of Bob Rupracht. Bob was an Industrial Arts/Technology Teacher in Baldwinsville for 33 years. The Bonzai Wheel will operate, educate and produce lettuce in his memory.

We purchase all our hydroponic supplies (including the Bonzai Wheel) from California Hydroponics a.k.a. Hydrotek in East Syracuse, New York. You can contact Hydrotek Manager, John Butenko, in regards to purchasing any hydroponic supplies or systems (john.butenko@hydrotek.ca) Another great resource for hydroponic gardening is The Growing Edge magazine which always has information on hobby gardening and other educational uses of Hydroponics and Aquaponics.

Another interesting local use of hydroponic gardening which produces lettuce to local grocery stores is the Cornell University Floating Hydroponic Greenhouse in Ithaca, NY. Here is a very informative video about the Cornell Hydroponics that Mr. Matt Wisniewski produced in 2004 while he was a student teacher here at Ray Middle School.

Every year we have a team of students that operate both the Hydroponic systems and Aquaponic Systems. The 2009-2010 Hydroponic/Aquaponic team members are as follows, Cicely Ekross (President), Jeremy Shutz (Treasurer) and Rachel Miller (Reporter). They are doing an outstanding job and will be updating a really cool blog about their systems and their Hydroponic Lettuce sales. Please check it out: http://raymsaquaponics.blogspot.com/