Tony and Joy Bono first brought their Flora Ridge hydroponic greens to Market some eight years. Before beginning Flora Ridge, Tony had as diverse a career as anyone in the Market.
From selling fire suppression systems to running a laundromat with linen service to construction to selling the best Philly cheesesteaks you can imagine at his own restaurant, Tony’s done a lot. Then, his mother introduced him to Boston lettuce and Tony found a new career.
While many farmers have greenhouses, hydroponic growing in greenhouses makes Flora Ridge different from other farmers at Market. Using a method developed in England called Nutrient Film Technique, he places a small tube at the end of troughs containing seedlings. Nutrient-rich water flows from the tubes into the troughs but just enough to produce a thin film of liquid to feed the plants. The seedlings grow in cubes called horticultural rock wool and grow for about fifty days before they are ready to harvest for Market.
Tony built his first hydroponic greenhouse in 2002, and added a second later on. The first greenhouse holds three varieties of lettuce, two varieties of romaine, some basil and arugula, and watercress in the summer. The second greenhouse holds mostly spinach with some baby kale as well. He may eventually add a third greenhouse to satisfy the demand for spinach and kale all year long.
You can find Tony or Joy year round at tables 147 and 148 between Margariette Graves and Crouse Farms.