fintuckyfarms
I understand your time issues, and I surly wouldn't want you to over extend yourself. But If I had the chance to get into the Master Gardeners to promote hydroponics, I wouldn't think twice about it. The only questions for me are how do I get started, what's expected from me on my part, and what resources will I have to work with to promote it.
Throughout the US there are very few Master Gardeners that know anything other than growing in soil. It's one of the reasons I don't utilize their sources much at all, they have very little experience in hydroponics (as a whole that is). They do generally know about plant diseases, pests etc. but when you try to discus hydroponics with them, they just have no understanding what your talking about. That's one of the biggest reasons there's such a lack of support in the agricultural field. Beyond knowing how to use hydroponics to your advantage, the agricultural laws are all still designed around plants in soil, and don't distinguish between hydroponics and soil (kind of like the oil company's being selected to promote electric cars).
Changing the laws to support hydroponically grown crops will go a long way to supporting the practice. But soil growers are strictly apposed. Teaching them that you can make more money with less resources if done right will help change their thinking (it always comes down to the pocketbook). Teaching old dogs new tricks isn't easy. Teaching the puppy's new tricks tends to be a faster/easier route (if you can wait for them to be elected into office).
P.S.
Is your son helping you with a website? Picking a templat is more about how it functions than anything else. When just starting out it won't make a lot of difference, especially if only making a few pages. But you should always keep in mind being able to expand without needing to start over. Starting over can always still be done no mater what, but just makes it much more work the more pages that need to be redone.
|