Over the New Year I took a trip to Florida. I'm always on the lookout for new farmers markets, farm stands or pick-your-own places wherever I go. This time around I found a farm. This farm, Hydro Taste 40 minutes outside Sarasota grows everything hydroponically. I've never seen anything like this before.

Hydroponics means growing without soil. This farm grows plants in stackable polystyrene containers with an automatic irrigation system. This configuration has a few interesting benefits.

1. Because it's stacked, multiple plants can grow in pretty much the same place.
2. The plants are lifted off the ground. This makes it harder for critters to steal all your vegetables but easier for you to pick them yourself because you don't need to bend down.
3. Another benefit of lifting the plants off the ground is that plants like tomatoes which need to be staked in order to help them grow upward can now just grow downward making the fruit easier to pick and the plant easier to maintain.
4. If you're growing flowers, like impatiens, you can use the stack to build a tower of flowers making a bold landscapting statement.
5. If you use them, your coolness factor may go through the roof.

I'm still debating on whether to put an installation on my roof. If you're interested in buying or installing a stacker system. Check out their web site at: www.hydrostacker.com.