At Simplea produce, our mission is to provide the community with the freshest, highest quality, hydroponically grown produce while also empowering people with disabilities to obtain meaningful employment in a cutting edge agricultural industry. We grow lettuce, greens, herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers in our newly renovated, state of the art hydroponic greenhouse at the Charles Lea Center in Spartanburg, SC. We currently employ four greenhouse associates with varying disabilities who take pride in producing quality produce for the community. We are non-profit so every purchase made goes directly to support this mission.
Practices
All of our produce is grown using hydroponic techniques in a controlled environment greenhouse. Our lettuce, herbs and greens are grown using the Nutrient Film Technique which is a closed system using nutrient infused water which is pumped from a tank, over the roots, then into a drainage pipe and back into the tank. This recycling system results in the use of 1/6 of the fertilizer and 1/10 of the water as compared to soil grown crops. Our vine crops are grown using a bato bucket and drip irrigation system. This system is a drain to waste, however, there is very little waste since we can adjust the drip schedule to reduce waste. Both of these systems are extremely efficient and result in a cleaner, better quality product. Since we grow indoors and without soil, we don't use any harmful herbicides, pesticides or fungicides. We use predatory insects such as lady bugs in order to control any harmful insects we might see in the greenhouse.
