As I reside outside of Southwest Florida, field trip #4 was designated as an agricultural area and living in a large city, I knew I would have to travel a bit to find one. After receiving a pre-approval by Professor Davis on June 10, I decided to go up to Coconut Creek which is a nice 45 minute drive from my house to visit “Natural Wonders”. Coming in to this field trip, I really was unsure of what to expect but as I drove to entrance I was amazed of how beautiful the place really was. Some background info on Natural Wonders is that it is a five acre nursery, with 30,000 plants growing vertically in a hydro-ponic growing system. They grow a variety of strawberries, peppers, lettuces, spinach and much more. I was really able to get a first-hand look at how this hydro-ponic farm operates.
What I learned from my trip is that Natural Wonders replaces the soil with a natural growing media that is clean and porous. These soil substitutes consist of coconut fibre, perlite, and sometimes vermiculite. Also, these materials contain very little, if any nutrients that can be absorbed by the plants, but provide a perfect soil substitute. The nutrient solution is the most important part of the system and Natural Wonders was truly a revitalizing moment for me.
What I learned off of the Echo website is that Echo is a non-profit organization who uses science and technology to help the poor. It exists for the people who work internationally with the poor to be more effective in agriculture.
My trip to Natural Wonders was a very enjoyable one as it was great to see a place that actually cares about our environment and is not taking any shortcuts in providing consumers with the highest-quality products that are eco-friendly. The one thing that I really did not enjoy was all of the bugs and mosquitoes that were flying around and I can honestly say that I have never been around as many bugs and got as much mosquito bites in my entire life. I’m sure they can find ways of preventing this but this is the only thing that I did not enjoy. My initial impression was that Natural Wonders was a large natural area where they grow many plants and fruits naturally.
Growing up in a large city where I lived in a semi-detached house with no garden or backyard, I really have zero experience with growing plants or gardening. I honestly do not know much about it but was very excited when I was given the opportunity to visit Natural Wonders for my field trip. It would be difficult for me to grown any of my food but I think my outlook and perspective has changed as a result of this field trip. I understand the importance of it and how to make our planet and environment a better place for all.
Please see some photos of Natural Wonders and all photos included have been taken by me. Thank you and god bless!
Till next time…
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