Hydroponics | Lighthouse Ministries

Project Green Thumb: Feeding the Homeless

What started as a goal to grow our own produce has thrived into a ministry capable of feeding many of our residents and guests on a year-round basis. With the help of the George W. Jenkins Fund within the Community Foundation of Greater Lakeland, Lighthouse Ministries expanded its hydroponic garden to over 7,000 plants in the last few years.

With traditional gardening, vegetables grow a large root system to search for food and water. With hydroponics, food and water are fed directly to the plants’ roots. This process enables plants to spend more energy growing above the surface at a rate two times faster than traditional gardening. Hydroponic gardens require only 20% of the space your typical outdoor garden requires, which means we’re growing five times what we would normally be able to on our campus.

There are two benefits to harvesting our own produce. First, we can grow a wider variety of fruits and vegetables than we could ever afford to buy, but, secondly, the garden allows for work therapy opportunities through our internship program. In fact, the garden has been run for the last year by Bob, a previous resident and intern proficient in horticulture, who has now completed the program and become full-time staff.

Bob
Bob had grown and manufactured illegal drugs for years. His lifestyles and addictions pushed him into divorce, poverty, and, eventually, homelessness. After a chance encounter at a Lighthouse Ministries “See the Need, Help Us Feed” outreach site, he came to the ministry and instantly fell in love with our hydroponic garden. He’s been there ever since.