Here is a detailed description of a mobile customized hydroponics structure, demonstrated by Dr. Dane Hudson at the University of Central Arkansas to the Green Bear Coalition of students and our interns in March 2024. Click on the round picture at the top left.

Our partner UAMS College of Public Health surveyed small farmers last Fall. The result? 75% believe our changing climate is impacting farmers. 59% believe our warming climate is impacting their ability to grow crops. How are they responding? Hoop houses, drip irrigation systems, crop rotation, use of compost. 

Vermiculture: Worm Castings and Compost Turn kitchen waste into rich garden soil. A worm bin a layered unit that houses worms who will eat your garbage. A worm bin takes very little space and does not stink. Worm castings are very high in nutrients. Prep Time: 10 minutes Assembly Time: 20 minutes Equipment: drill with 1/8” bit; two 5-gallon buckets, nestling; one bucket lid Ingredients: 1 newspaper, red wigglers, kitchen scraps Instructions: Drill 15 holes in the bottom of one of the buckets to allow excess liquid to drain. Add several handfuls of kitchen scraps to the bucket. Place the red wigglers on top of the kitchen scraps. Shred newspaper. Thoroughly wet the newspaper and allow it drain for a moment; then place the newspaper on top of worms to the depth of about six inches. Put the bucket with the worms inside the second bucket and put on the lid. The bottom bucket catches excess liquid. Add a handful of scraps every 2-3 weeks, tucking them under the newspaper. As the worm colony grows, the worms can process more scraps. The worms will multiply. When a substantial amount of dark brown worm castings have gathered, stop adding new scraps for a few weeks. Dump the contents of the bucket onto a piece of cardboard and expose it to sunshine. The worms dislike light. They will crawl to the bottom of the pile. Carefully remove castings from the top of the pile and place them on your potted plants or in your garden. Put the worms back in the bucket and start over. Adapted from @attanablesustainable #attainablesustainable What to Put In the Worm Bin Banana peels and other fruits Vegetables and veggie waste Shredded paper and cardboard Squash and pumpkin Eggshells Coffee grounds Pasta (without the sauce) Tea bags and coffee filters Grains Hair Aged lawn clippings and dry leaves (fresh clippings may heat up and kill worms) Do NOT feed your worms: Salty foods Acidic fruit (citrus fruit and citrus peels) Foods with preservatives Onions and garlic Meat Dairy foods Non-foods and garbage (no plastic, sawdust, windowed envelopes, dog/cat waste)

Loofahs are pollinators you can eat. Plant loofah seeds in the spring. The vine will grow up a fence or a trellis. We use it in our gardens to create covered areas for chickens seeking protection from the brutal summer sun. Big, beautiful blooms will attract bees and other pollinators all summer long. By early fall, a vegetable that looks like a huge cucumber will grow. When green and immature, you can slice it and eat it raw or sauté it with other vegetables. If you don’t want to eat it, wait until it starts to turn yellow/brown; then cut it off the vine and allow it to dry out. You can peel it and slice off the bottom end to use as a loofah. Don’t wait too long to cut it off the vine, because it can become moldy; then it has to go to the compost bin. You also can save seeds for sharing with other gardeners to plant next spring. Save some seeds for yourself too. If you shake your gourd and it sounds like a maraca, the seeds are ready for harvesting.

GROW MORE FOOD WHERE PEOPLE LIVE grant from USDA-NRCS. In the first year, Ark. IPL has impacted 16,063 neighbors. 29,575 pounds of produce have been diverted from the landfill to food pantries and compost systems. 58 interns and students have been involved, working with 26 small farmers, master gardeners, professors, mentors. Chicken coops, garden beds, fruit trees, greenhouses, worm boxes, hydroponic systems, irrigation systems, food pantries have been demonstrated and installed in 13 low-wealth locations to serve our neighbors facing food insecurity.