Aeroponic pyramid garden in Victoria is a catalyst for change

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This article was published 08/04/2023 (1251 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Victoria’s Allan Murr uses pyramid-shaped planters and aeroponic farming to cultivate and harvest fresh produce that is distributed by volunteers to local food banks and community kitchens. This is not your average community food share. Murr is president of Harvest and Share Food Relief Society, a registered charity, that has grown salad greens, herbs, and cherry tomatoes outdoors on the grounds at Government House in Victoria. The collaborative initiative to help fight food instability in Victoria is as unique as Murr’s pyramid-shaped planters utilizing aeroponic technology.

Last year, from May 1st to September 15th, volunteers for the non-profit organization harvested and donated 8,000 plants worth approximately $22,000. Now a growing list of community partnerships is expanding the program’s outreach. In January, Harvest and Share Food Relief Society launched its first indoor farm in a partnership with Glenlyon Norfolk School in Victoria. The indoor farm is in the school’s underground parking lot and will operate year-round to supply fresh, nutritional produce to local food banks. In addition, the society will also grow crops on a rooftop garden. Funding from the city of Victoria will enable the charity to hire its first employee who will maintain the nutrient levels and pH values for each of the growing operations. “This year, we are going to be doubling our food production,” said Murr in a recent phone conversation.

Let’s start from the beginning.

Murr, a former IT professional, became interested in methods to grow fresh, organic food when his twin daughters were born seventeen years ago. He experimented with hydroponics and started looking for a space-efficient way to grow food. “There was nothing that could provide enough yield per square foot. I was in a coffee shop and started drawing things on a napkin and out came the pyramid design.” His patented vertical design with four triangle-shaped sides has a smaller footprint than a traditional garden plot and can grow 136 plants. The base of the pyramid is 4 ft. by 4 ft. or 1.2 m by 1.2 m. and the height is 4 ft. The individual ports for seedlings are approximately six inches (15 cm) apart. The pyramid planter is made from a food-safe, UV-resistant composite material that has a polyethylene core. “It is very thin, only 5 or 6 mm, but also very rigid,” said Murr.

How does the aeroponic system work? Briefly, seedlings are planted into net pots that fit into the pyramid. A mister inside the pyramid sprays the roots of the seedlings every 30 minutes with recycled water and nutrients. Nutrient and pH levels must be monitored twice daily. Aeroponic farming is less water-intensive than traditional farming and because the root systems of the plants are constantly exposed to oxygen, the plants grow bigger and faster than in traditional agriculture and produce higher yields. “One advantage of aeroponics,” says Murr, “is that when you spray nutrient water at the root level, you are also providing more oxygen at the root level. The healthier the root structure, the healthier the plant.” It is essential to adequately maintain water tanks, filters, and misters.

Ten years ago, Murr tried to sell the units commercially. It wasn’t a big thing at the time, said Murr, although Microsoft purchased 20 of the pyramids for their cafeterias to grow leafy greens for their employees. Another 20 of the pyramid planters had a starring role in Salvation, an American television series. But oh, what a difference a decade makes. When the pandemic struck in 2020, food security was impacted. “One of the city councillors in Victoria was concerned about the issues the community would face,” said Murr. “I had more than 100 planters in storage because I was renting and was busy with kids.”

Murr had also left his IT job and joined his family’s business. “We have a hair salon and sell the largest amount of hair products in town and we’ve been doing that for the last 55 years. I got involved with payrolls and management.” Murr phoned the city councillor and offered the planters for use. The councillor connected him with various sources which led to installing his aeroponics pyramids in the Victory Garden at Government House.

The City of Victoria’s Get Growing program provided all the seedlings and in 2021, the charity grew 3,022 heads of lettuce, 789 chives plants, 520 Swiss Chard plants, and 450 basil plants. Finding volunteers to harvest and deliver the fresh food to local food banks was not difficult. Murr’s twin daughters were the first to sign up along with many others. “The average age of our volunteers is 20, 21. But as more people get to know us and what our mandate is, the more who join us,” said Murr. With the success of the program and the support of numerous organizations along with growing demand by local food banks for fresh produce, Murr hoped to also have an indoor farm that would provide local food banks and community kitchens with fresh local food during the winter.

In early 2022, Murr began experimenting with growing cherry tomatoes indoors. Last spring, Red Robin cherry tomatoes, arugula, mustard greens, spinach, and Pac choi were added to the crop rotation. “We love to experiment in the pyramid planters but we also try and consider what will grow best,” says Murr. Chives, for example, are very popular, says Murr, but difficult to harvest because the roots grow so huge in the aeroponic system and it’s hard to pull out the plant. Cherry tomatoes have been a huge success. “Every time we brought cherry tomatoes around to the different organizations, we could see every one’s eyes light up.” Monte Carlo mini-Romaine lettuce has also been very popular because it’s a perfect size for one or two people.

Murr is excited to give back to the community. Now, the collaboration with Glenlyon Norfolk School in Victoria is an opportunity to inspire a new generation. Grade 5 students will be utilizing a passive system of hydroponics called the Kratke hydroponics method. Plants are suspended above a reservoir containing a nutrient solution, says Murr. “As the roots access the nutrient water, the water levels fall and the roots grow downward to access more resources. It’s a method that is gaining traction because it is a simple, easy way to grow food.” This is the first hydroponic growing space to be built in a school in Victoria. The indoor garden at the school features stackable shelving racks that hold 250 plants at a time. The food harvested will be donated to Backpack Buddies, a program that provides a weekly bag of food to school children.

Murr was featured in the new season of Ageless Gardens which premiered in February on VisionTV. The series which tells the personal stories of 16 Canadian gardeners and how and why they garden is produced by filmmakers Ian Toews and Mark Bradley of Victoria, BC’s 291 Film Company. Some of the episodes are currently streaming and the episode featuring Murr will be available to stream at a future date. Visit visiontv.ca for more details.

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