Teenage farmer uses hydroponics to grow food in New York and Israel

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Farm Forecast: 15-year-old works to spread awareness on hydroponic plants

Founder of the nonprofit Growing Peace Inc. Steven Hoffen joins FOX Weather to give insight into why he advocates for hydroponic plants and his work to help communities gain access to healthy produce through these plants.

NEW YORK CITY – Steven Hoffen, 15, founded the nonprofit organization Growing Peace to provide food and education about hydroponics to communities in need.

Hydroponics is a method of farming that involves growing fruits and vegetables vertically, rather than horizontally in a traditional farm or greenhouse. 

Additionally, hydroponics does not require soil. As its name implies, hydroponics uses water to nourish the plants, rather than soil.

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Hoffen tending to lettuce being grown.

(Growing Peace Inc. / FOX Weather)

Together, these factors allow hydroponics farmers such as Hoffen to grow food without needing a large space and to do so while saving water.

Hoffen said he became interested in hydroponics after creating a documentary about the organization Sindyanna of Galilee, an Israeli organization that had a hydroponics project. He then went on to install one hydroponics system in Israel and two in New York City.

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"We're hoping to provide food and educate the people at these organizations about hydroponics," Hoffen said.

Hoffen noted that his organization first grew leafy greens, such as kale, basil, mint and various types of lettuce. Now, the crops grown have expanded to include tomatoes, peppers and strawberries.