"Welcome to the 21 century millennial farmer — no sunburn, straw hat, or dirt under my nails"

As fun as a visit to Florida would be, this On Site is a virtual one, for obvious reasons. Twenty-four-year-old Jonathan Rubin — farmer, scientist, environmentalist, entrepreneur — is the founder and CEO of Fresh Florida Farms, in Boca Raton. He “walks” me through his farm via phone calls and photos, and as I scroll through photos of his operation, I admire the neat shelves and rows of produce. It’s all so orderly and clean, it’s hard to believe that this is an alternative to mud-streaked farmers plowing huge fields.

“That’s because hydroponic farming doesn’t take place in the ground or in soil,” says Jonathan. “A lot of farmers are transitioning to hydroponic growing because natural resources are being used up. And if it’s done right, hydroponics can create a better quality product. And yes, the stores who sell my produce tell me I look too ‘polished’ to be a farmer. I say, ‘Welcome to the 21 century millennial farmer — no sunburn, straw hat, or dirt under my nails.’

“In general, when I meet new people and I introduce myself as a vertical farmer, they look at me as if I grew a second head. I’ve received comments like, ‘So where’s your scarecrow?’ ”

Hydroponics is the science of growing crops without soil. The produce is grown in climate-controlled environments, in tubs of water-rich nutrients, under artificial lighting. The process is cleaner, healthier, and smarter than that of soil crops because nutrients are provided directly to the plants’ roots.

Agricultural and Halachic Standards

Everything on Fresh Florida Farms is grown according to the highest agricultural standards, without genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Jonathan works closely with the USDA and FDA to ensure all standards are met or exceeded.

“It’s interesting,” he muses as I watch a clip he’s sent of a hydroponic farm, “but there’s a lot of crossover between halachah and USDA regulation.”

For example, if part of the harvest falls to the ground, the halachah says to leave it for leket. If something falls during harvesting today, USDA mandates that it can’t be sold (although for different reasons). There are also similarities when it comes to kilayim, cross-breeding two seeds.

“We don’t have to find proofs that the Torah is the end-all, but it is interesting when food policy and halachah are congruent,” says Jonathan. “Understanding and living with the complexities of food production has made me appreciate the idea of making brachos so much more.

“Because it doesn’t grow from the soil, hydroponic produce, interestingly enough, is considered bircas shehakol. (But if produce isn’t labeled hydroponic, go ahead and make ha’adamah. You can assume that it’s not hydroponic.)

“We have proven that we can grow produce, without pesticides and GMOs, and still be bug free.”