Gardens On Air

“You know, this building was one of the first businesses located on this part of Highway 278?”  Lee Harrison continues, “Yeah, when I had all the electrical fixed, the building was directly connected somehow to the Gadsden Steam Plant, so they actually had to shut part of it down to move my service.”

In the building where the grocery store Gregerson’s of Hokes Bluff used to be, food is once again being produced there.  Contrasting with some of the original detail like framing for back offices, antique tile, and butcher’s window, now stands a grid of high tech LED grow lights, state of the art circulation systems, and machinery.  Now the home of Lee’s business, Gardens on Air, hydroponic lettuce and other vegetables and herbs grow silently amongst the constant whirring of the fans which blow to control humidity.  Hokes Bluff is a community known for its focus on agriculture and gardening and Lee has firmly cemented his place in it with his work.

I, like many others, would never know that the unassuming building by the side of the highway could have such an impact on the community or the world at large.  If you happen to be eating a salad from Local Joe’s BBQ while reading this, it could have been supplied by Gardens on Air.  When I first met Lee and discovered not only where he was, but what he was doing, it took some time for me to remove my jaw from my lap.  I knew I had to learn more.

Lee is a veteran and retired police officer, but since 2010 has been pursuing what he really loves doing and that’s growing food.  A constant presence in farmer’s markets around the state since then, Hokes Bluff is now Lee’s base of operation and he’s scaling that up in a big way.  Nearly every inch of the floor where shopping carts once roamed is now occupied by large tanks of Lee’s own design.   Some are full with rafts loaded with produce, some are in the final stages of construction and nearly ready to come online.  These weren’t bought from the Sears catalog or ordered from Amazon.  Such things only existed before in his mind and are in place now because of his hands.
Hydroponic gardening means that food can be grown without soil, in water, floating on a food-grade styrofoam raft.  It sounds simple, but removing the soil adds other complexities to the process.  Lee carefully explains the process from seed to sale and the tracking that goes with it.  I listen intently as he tells me how the rock wool is soaked in the right pH level water, the seed is placed precisely in the wool and the tray labeled.  Each variety labeled with the date it was planted, observed until it reaches the precise state, then transferred to the raft for its next stage.  Finally, at the conclusion, our head of expertly grown lettuce is ready to be harvested and find its way to your plate.  What you get in the box is a complete plant, which has the added benefit of not being cut.  It’s both fresher and lasts longer in your fridge even.

As plants are harvested, new ones begin the same journey over and over again.  This carries on week after week, all year long and in all weather.  You see, Lee’s garden is completely indoors and stays at the perfect temperature all year long.  The grid of lights and constant circulation keeps food production marching on without stoppage and doesn’t require fertilizer or pesticides.  In Alabama, we might have one of the longest growing seasons in the entire US, but Lee extends that year-round.  

I’m also not the only one that Lee wants to educate though.   I was also stunned to learn that a miniature version of the garden has been installed at Coosa Christian School and plans to bring more online in the future. Part of his garden has an area reserved for local schools to come in and observe the work being done there.  He wants to educate kids about the science that’s taking place and how it relates to agriculture, but help them understand the importance of where our food comes from and how it gets to our plate. 

He uses the term “food desert” to describe areas where no food is produced in a community, instead relying on things being brought in which requires more resources like storage and diesel fuel to get it there.  That doesn’t describe our community, but even in parts of the state flush with agriculture, many of those areas grow mostly cash crops and not food.  He tells me what has been built here can easily be replicated nearly anywhere and is a great use for things like old cotton mills or any other large indoor space that is currently disused, giving it a new purpose.





I still haven’t told you everything Lee does.  On October 28th, the Xero Cal cafe will open in his building and feature a variety of foods we don’t currently have in the area.  Things like smoothies, fresh squeezed juices, Acai bowls, and fresh salads, with a window through to the garden so customers can see just where their meal came from.   Lee’s salads will be unique in that the various greens are blended for a variety of different flavors and be much more nutrient dense than a simple salad.  He’ll also have Kangen water available, some of which will be made into the best kind of ice made…Sonic Ice.  I know where I’ll be on that day, how about ya’ll?

Carrying on the ShopGadsden.com mantra of “Shop Local”, with the work Lee and Gardens on Air is doing, we have the unique opportunity to buy goods produced and sold right here.  Find these products in the Xero Cafe, on store shelves at Johnson’s Giant Foods, or in dishes at Local Joe’s BBQ.

Meet Lee at:
Gardens On Air
info@gardensonair.net
2330 U.S. Hwy. 278 E
Hokes Bluff, AL 35903