STAND AND PICK Oregon grower diversifies his farm using Hydro-Stacker to grow berries for the U-pick market

摘要

People visiting Airlie Hills U-pick strawberry farm are in for a real surprise when they pull into the little "patch" just south of Monmouth, Ore. There to greet them is not the traditional berry field they may have expected to see but rows of hydroponic HydroStackers. An Oregon grass seed grower looking to diversify his farm, Airlie Hills owner/operator Aaron Kennel, opted for U-pick hydroponic strawberries for several reasons. For one thing, Oregon growers are producing far fewer strawberries thanin years past. Another reason is that with hydroponics he can stretch out his crop through October.