This week, we spoke with Coleman Anderson, who used his time in quarantine to start his very own hydroponic farming business.
There’s no doubt that the past year has presented many challenges, but there have also been some unexpected silver linings.
Coleman shared how he was able to turn things around after a setback.
“After I lost my job from COVID, I decided to start focusing on starting a hydroponic farm. I didn’t have a lot of land to work with and wanted to use sustainable farming practices, which is what led me to hydroponics and to AmHydro.”
Coleman had traditional farming experience from growing up in Oklahoma and then later on during college, working with the sustainability department and on the community farm at Northern Arizona University.
To get his business off the ground last year, Coleman purchased an AmHydro NFT 1200 system, and then immediately jumped right into growing and selling his produce at the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market and local urban grocery stores.
Coleman Anderson Hydrofarm’s top products are lettuce, basil, dill, and especially arugula, which has been a huge hit with customers! Hydroponic farming is a highly efficient and sustainable method of food production, and Coleman is working on ensuring that his packaging is as eco-friendly as possible, as well. He’s been experimenting with various low-impact options: “I use waxed lined butcher paper to package all of my produce and even though it takes extra time, it’s definitely worth it. Being able to sell my produce locally and have the whole process from seeding to selling be sustainable has been awesome!”
