Our Mission
At Troy Youth Education Foundation, we believe that learning more about the world around you every day can be such a valuable source of information and joy. Gardening is such a rewarding activity - being able to watch seeds turn into seedlings that turn into mature plants is so fulfilling. Especially among rising food prices due to the COVID-19 pandemic, indoor farming and organic, fresh produce is more important than ever. We just wanted to develop simple ways to garden indoors, even during the winter, and share them with the community in fun, simple manuals so everyone, even young kids, can grow their own food.
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We know that building a complicated hydroponic system can be confusing, difficult, and very expensive. PVC pipes, wooden planks, irrigation tubing, pumps, and filters really add up! To make hydroponics more accessible, we boiled it down into four main components: a nutrient medium, a large container to hold the nutrient medium, smaller containers to support the plants, and something to hold the plant upright. We developed a hydroponic system that uses recyclable materials so you can build one for less than $5. Open the manuals to check it out!
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If you have any suggestions, questions, or comments feel free to let us know at troyyouthef@gmail.com! We're looking forward to hearing from you, and can't wait to see what your garden looks like.
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Be sure to check out our blog as well under the "Our Experiences" section! We post our own experiences with gardening and hydroponics there, along with tutorials.
Vertical Bottle Farming
Space-Efficient Gardening
We see every challenge as an opportunity, and this initiative helps us ensure that our partners are better prepared to manage the unique situations they find themselves in. We are invested in an innovative approach that empowers our community and delivers the support they need, when they need it.
The Benefits of Hydroponics
A better alternative to traditional farming
What exactly is hydroponics, and how is it different from traditional gardening? More importantly, why should I take the time to learn about this new system instead of growing food the way I always have? All of these questions will be answered in this informational document, complete with infographics and a comprehensive list of pros and cons of hydroponics.
Starting an Indoor Garden
Important tips and tricks
Indoor gardening is a relaxing, fulfilling hobby that lowers anxiety, blood pressure, and osteoporosis risks while raising life satisfaction and time spent engaging with nature. However, there are some key differences between indoor and outdoor gardening. In this manual, we've included some tips and tricks to help make your indoor garden a success!
Our Experiences
Learn and grow with us!
Even though we've done lots of research about indoor farming and hydroponics, we still experienced a fair share of trial-and-error, and would love to share them with you so your gardening experience is a lot smoother than ours. Click on the button, read about our gardening experiences, look at pictures of our hand-made systems, and hopefully start your own!
Community Impact
Planting more seeds
Quarantine was and is very hard for many families for many reasons. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many people to buy groceries and cook instead of eating out, which has led to rises in the price of food. By spreading indoor, cheap hydroponics to low-income areas hit hardest we can increase their access to the fresh food they need.