Hydroponic Harvest

Wed, 07/10/2013 - 9:14pm — Diane Dyer

Two proud Butler County farmers, Betty and Gary Robbins.

Gary, Betty and son Mike Robbins of Morgantown grow their tomatoes in buckets of water; lots of buckets, at last count about two thousand of them. The process is called hydroponics, where the plants are grown in a mixture of water and pearlite with a tube that brings chemical free nutrition to them. Think of watching your favorite doctor type show on television where the bucket is the therapy bed, the plants are the patients, the tube is an IV and the care givers are the Robbins’. Along with growing two to four thousand pounds of tomatoes a week, the Robbins family also raises English burp-less cucumbers hydroponically.

Great looking hydroponic tomatoes.

Gary who says that “ I was born on a farm and been farming all my life” also tells us that their typical growing season for tomatoes is from July to October, which means they offer home grown pesticide free tomatoes in the wintertime. The family started their business about three years ago which goes by the name of ATP Greenhouses. They have worked hard to grow the business and now have contracts with IGA Grocery stores and with local schools. This is their first year for selling at the Farmers Market and it looked like they were doing brisk business.

Another happy customer.
The Robbins can be found at the Community Farmers' Market in Bowling Green located at the corner of Nashville Road and Campbell Lane. This Farmers Market operates on Saturdays from. 8am - 1pm, and on Tuesdays from 3pm-7pm. Locally the Robbins may be reached at 999-1305 or 999-4090. ATP Greenhouses is located at 877 Hidden Valley Road in Morgantown.