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- Hydroponic Mo-Matoes Offer Juicy Summer Eating in February
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- By Brittney Jerred
New York Correspondent
- Though summer may be a long way off for the Northeast, people in Morrisville, N.Y. are having a slice, or in some cases, giant juicy bites of summer in February.
“Mo-Matoes” are State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Morrisville’s version of the tomato. The plants are being grown hydroponically in on-campus greenhouses and sold at local retail outlets.
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| Ben Dunigan tends to tomato plants grown hydroponically. The system he devised now produces 120 plants and about 50 pounds of tomatoes a week. |
Nearly 120 plants are bearing bright, red fruit that is normally only found in open fields during hot weather. The project began during winter break in 2001 when 25-year-old Ben Dunigan, a horticulture student, stayed behind to raise and market vegetable crops that are grown in nutrient solutions rather than soil. With holding tanks, aerated water, special fertilizers, sunlight and heat, tomatoes are growing in the middle of winter.
The horticulture club at the college has taken ownership of the project since Dunigan’s graduation, and has raised enough money through tomato sales to purchase equipment for the greenhouses. The college was also awarded a $14,000 grant from Sen. Nancy Lorraine Hoffman (R-Syracuse) to build a demonstration area for SUNY Morrisville’s Hydroponic Vegetable Model and run more experiments with hydroponics.
“They’re not the typical grocery store, cardboard tomatoes you find in the middle of winter,” said student Brian Buschynski, 19. “They taste like an August day.” Buschynski is one of seven students who is working to grow, market and sell Mo-Matoes. So far, they’re selling what they grow.
An on-campus flower shop sells up to 50 pounds of tomatoes a week. Last summer, students sold Mo-Matoes at the Hamilton Farmers’ Market, located about 10 miles from the college. They plan to set up shop at the market again this spring when it opens for the season.
Word has spread and some residents now drive more than 10 miles to pick up their tomatoes for the week.
“Everyone who has tried one says they’re absolutely delicious,” Buschynski said, who eats them like apples. Buschynski has always enjoyed gardening. He works for the Saratoga Springs Department of Public Works during summer vacation where he helps maintain the city’s gardens. With Mo-Matoes, the students are learning about important growing methods such as plant succession to non-soil root systems.
“We can produce a lot more in hydroponic labs than you can in an acre of land,” Buschynski said. But the cost to heat the greenhouses is considerable. If it weren’t for the value of science and education, the endeavor would not be worth the investment. People who own greenhouses in the region have paid more in heating costs in January than they did all last winter, as record low temperatures set in and stayed for the whole month.
Mo-Matoes compliment the student-run cut-flower shop at Morrisville, which competes with other flower shops in the area. The plan is to involve all horticulture majors in the project next year, with seniors leading the marketing and business efforts and freshman tending to the plants. The dining hall is already buying tomatoes from the students.
Instructional Support Associate Bob Hasegawa has run the greenhouse for 20 years and he is happy to see students becoming as involved as they are.
“It’s a lot of hands-on education. It’s a great way to teach,” said Hasegawa. “It’s a nice project for the students and it makes us money.” So far, with the money they’ve earned from Mo-Mato sales, which is about $50 a week, the department has purchased pruning shears, new shovels and more buckets. They plan to let marketing students at the college help give Mo-Matoes a reputation.
If people want to make a profit with hydroponic tomatoes, the best time to plant would be March, Hasegawa said. That way, people wouldn’t have such a high heat bill and the tomatoes would still ripen earlier than August, when there is an abundance of tomatoes, and the grower could charge preseason prices.
The students are also learning about the field of hydroponics. Brownfields, where soils have been contaminated through industry, can benefit from hydroponic gardens. The water-based growing method is cheaper than trucking in loads of top soil, which forces the students to think more along the lines of where they can use what they’re learning down the road.
The next project they plan to tackle is hydroponic gerbera daisies. If they’re successful, a flower wholesaler will buy the flowers.
For his hydroponic efforts, Dunigan received a Student Initiative Award from the Association of Council Members and College Trustees of the State University of New York. He is one of only four students statewide to receive this award.
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