I know what you mean, there is never any hydroponics related displays at any of our local functions either. I found out from our local master gardeners program that there's only one hydroponics farm in our county (unfortunately, I have yet to visit it). And the only hydroponics supply store within a 3 hour drive only just opened about 6 months ago. Also the only collage/school with courses in hydroponics in the state is at the university of Arizona's Controlled Environment department in Tuscon. That is about a 7 hour drive away from me, so I wont be able to commute even if I had the money to attend. Heck even our local library system only had one book on the subject of hydroponics at all to begin with, and someone checked it out and never returned it, so they don't even have that anymore.
I cant do much about the local schools courses, or libraries (unless I donate the books). But I plan to increase public awareness about the benefits of hydroponic farming myself. Of coarse I wont be able to do it all at once, but in time I plan to have a operating hydroponics farm growing all kinds of different fruits and veggies for our local community, and expanding it all the time. I'll be selling the produce fresh right on site, as well as showing the people how the plants are grown. Probably even having tours for the local schools. As well as having a booth at all our local functions to aid in awareness, along with druming up business. Even creating jobs in the industry as I grow and expand the business.
But ya, I know what you mean. It's surprising there is so little use of such a viable, productive, environmentally friendly way of growing produce. But along with the old timers that don't know any other way, or just set in their ways and don't want to try something new. In some communities the term "hydroponics" actually creates fear. I read about one community in particular that actually blocked the opening of a hydroponics retail store after already giving the OK, because the city counsel felt it would cause increased drug use in their community. That's just a case of a bunch of old farts that are unaware (ignorant) about the potential of hydroponics because all they hear about is drug busts on TV, so they think you cant grow anything else with hydroponics.
Sure there will be people using it to grow pot, but blocking the opening of a hydroponics supply store wont keep them from doing that in the slightest. What, is there some ban on having things shipped to their town? Pot growers have been ordering what they need online, and/or through mail order for decades? Only the old farts that cant use a computer don't know that. So their fear just hurts everybody else. All they wind up doing is limiting economic growth for their community, and making pot growers pay for shipping.
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