John Carroll began dreaming about hydroponic farming in 2009. Having worked in agriculture his whole life, he was fascinated with the potential of this innovative system. His first task was to convince his father, who has a history of dairy farming, that a hydroponic system would work on their third generation farm. John shared that his father’s first response was “You can’t grow anything but fish in water.” Eventually, John and his father attended a hydroponics seminar together and joined forces on their vision to grow with hydroponics.
They spent the next few years researching hydroponic systems and determining what they would grow. In 2014 they installed a 128’ x 28’ greenhouse. By the spring of 2015 they began selling at the Foothills Farmers’ market, as well as Food Matters in Morganton. In addition to his primary crop of tomatoes, John grows peppers, cucumbers, collards, and four varieties of kale.
John takes pride in his hydroponic system, reporting that he can grow the same amount of tomatoes on a tenth of an acre that many farmers grow on seven acres using conventional growing practices. He attributes this efficiency to the control he can have over his growing environment. Rather than taking a soil sample, he takes a water sample to determine the specific fertilizer and micronutrient profile needed to amend his growing medium which is well water. He maintains strict sanitation practices to prevent disease within the indoor growing environment and uses a leaf blow to enhance pollination. John’s hydroponic system allows him to grow greenhouse tomatoes all winter long!
John loves to offer tours for garden clubs, homeschool groups, etc. who are wanting to learn about hydroponic farming. He also opens the farm for direct sales. Follow Big John’s Hydro Farm to learn more!