Freshness in Food the Farmshelf Way
Want the freshest ingredients for you and your family? We don’t blame you. The produce you grab at your local grocery store may seem fresh but in reality, those greens have traveled many (sometimes thousands!) of miles to get to your refrigerator shelves. One of the best ways to support our food systems and enjoy fresh ingredients is to minimize the travel times in between the farm and your plate.
While there are ways to minimize food travel, we believe in growing food where you are for the most nutritious, flavorful produce possible.
Fresh Ingredients and Hydroponics
With hydroponic growing, the yield and nutritional value of produce is consistently higher than traditional farming.
Why is this? Studies have shown that there is significant nutrient loss in traditional soil farming. A plant growing in soil has to search for its necessary nutrients in the earth, which is often compacted, dry, and dense (leaving a lot to be desired for our leafy friends).
In these cases, not only does the plant lose valuable energy in the process but nutrients are lost along the way, and we know that’s not what you wanted to hear.
Growing using a hydroponic system enables a much more efficient (and also clean!) process for delivering nutrients to the plant. Because of this, it’s proven that hydroponic growing results in average 4x yield and 30-50x faster growth than traditional farming methods.
In a hydroponic system, food is allowed to grow and ripen on the plant itself, free from the chemicals typically used to deter pests and soil disease. This has huge implications for nutrient density and flavor as well as yield. Plus, we love no pesticides!
Farmshelf helps you implement a hydroponic growing process in the comfort of your own home. Using our technology of nutrient delivery, water, and light, your plant yields and harvest can be managed right under your own green thumb.
Traveling Feet Instead of Miles
While this may seem obvious to most of you food smarties out there, nutrient preservation and flavor in food is closely linked to distribution and harvest methods.
It is proven that both fruits and vegetables lose their optimal nutritional value as soon as they are picked. When picked, vitamins such as C, E, A, and some B vitamins begin to deteriorate and because of this, the overall nutritional value of the food decreases. Not only is this bad news for your diet, but also for your flavor profile while cooking. It goes without saying that fresh food has much richer flavor that stands on its own in any dish! After food is picked, the flavor profile begins to dwindle rapidly. To receive an ingredient’s best flavor, it should be eaten within 48 hours of being picked. This just isn’t possible with increased shipping distances, food that sits in grocery stores, and other factors that contribute to delays from farm to fork.
With a Farmshelf in your home, your ingredients can be sliced, diced, sauteed, and savored within moments from leaving the farm. That’s the true meaning of nutritious AND delicious.