Hydroponically Grown Produce at Rabbit Run Farm Fort Myers, FL

 

Denise S. Muir is the proud owner of Rabbit Run Farm in Fort Myers, Florida. She is living out her vision of growing organic vegetables and fruits in a way that is quite unique. Her produce is not grown in the usual fashion, but is grown hydroponically without the need for soil. The plants grown hydroponically use a tenth the water of an average farm.

The rows of heirloom vegetables, strawberries, and tropical fruits are grown by using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil. The nutrients are fed directly to the roots causing the plants to grow more quickly. Plants grown hydroponically can grow in gravel, sand, water, or even air!

Rabbit Run Farm currently has 30,000 plants on 1/2 acre, but still has 5 more acres for future expansion! The produce grown is sold to local restaurants and consumers who what healthy and organically grown food.

Seedlings get a head start in their own greenhouse setup. They are protected from harsh weather and are given the nutrients they need.

In need of a salad? Rabbit Run Farm grows a variety of blends including summer lettuce, arugula, Red Sails lettuce, and Swiss Chard. No need to worry about pesticides because the farm uses organic pest control methods.

Rabbit Run Farm also specializes in strawberries. It must be so much fun to pick all the fruit as they ripen. Row after row of strawberries are displayed just waiting to be picked.

 

I’m a big fan of eggplant so for me it was exciting to see new heirloom varieties that I’ve never encountered before. They ranged from long slender white eggplants to round purple ones with a dash of white on the skin.

 

It was not hard to see that Denise Muir loves to grow tomatoes. She grows 15 varieties of cherry tomatoes, various heirloom tomatoes, and even a variety called the Black Zebra tomato which is pictured above to the left.

As the tour came to a conclusion, it was exciting to see the bees that flourish at Rabbit Run Farm. They do their part by pollinating the produce and in return provide Denise Muir with sweet, local honey. That sound like a good deal!

Special thanks to Denise Muir for the tour of Rabbit Run Farm. To learn more visit her website at http://www.rabbitrunfarmllc.com/