As part of Utica Institute Heritage Week, instructors at ż Utica Campus held a hydroponics/3-D workshop Oct. 15. The local community was invited to the Innovate Center to learn about soilless farming and were given a hydroponics kit to start a home project with.
“Hydroponics is a very old method of producing of crops, believe it or not,” Agriculture Instructor Dr. Karla Turner Bailey said. “If you’ve heard of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, that’s a good example of the use of hydroponics.” She and FabLab Technician Jeremy Holmes headed up the workshop.
Turner Bailey presented the science behind what makes hydroponics a growing industry for growing crops.
“Hydroponics is work intensive and a high level of expertise is needed,” she said, listing the drawbacks. “But if you have unsustainable soil or poor soil quality, or you want to grow without using pesticides, this is a good way to grow crops that ordinarily wouldn’t grow in certain environments.
“Another advantage is that plants are fast growing in a hydroponic system. There are no weeds or pests and therefore no need for pesticides or harmful chemicals,” Turner Bailey said.
Holmes also talked about 3-D printing and how the parts for the pump were created in Utica’s FabLab where a Prusa 3D printer is in use.
“Our FabLab isn’t just for our students, it’s for the community as well,” Holmes said. In his presentation he talked about how the water pump parts were made using PLA filament, a naturally occurring polylactic acid used in the Utica lab. “It is a durable plastic, yet it is also biodegradable, and it comes from sustainable sources. It can be used in many ways, including making parts like this for a water pump, or a prototype for a new innovation.”
He invited community members to come back and make use of the FabLab and the 3-D printer. Two homeschool families in attendance were impressed with the presentations and felt inspired by the possibilities.
“I have a smaller system at home, but this is awesome. This was a very informative workshop. We have a farm and hydroponics is something we are looking at getting into,” said Louise Vaughn of Hazlehurst.
There was Ena Goods of Port Gibson who came looking for new, sustainable farming ideas. She also has a smaller system at home.
“I’ve been looking at getting into hydroponics as well,” said Goods, who manages a non-profit. “We could use this at our community farm. So, I’m looking forward to setting this up when we get home and seeing what we can accomplish with it.”
Utica Institute Heritage Week was Oct. 14-18. Campus activities included the Hydroponics Workshop, the coronation of Mr. and Miss Utica, a Back Porch Thursday presenting “A look at Mande Culture Through Traditional Music,” a film screening of Utica, and a documentary focusing on food security and community development by Shirley Hopkins Davis. The week ended with the annual Alumni & Community Tailgate.
To learn more about hydroponics or agricultural studies at ż contact Dr. Turner-Bailey at (601) 885-7024, or karla.turnerbailey@hindscc.edu