2014 ESPANOLA SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER CLIENT OF THE YEAR
Growing Opportunities, Inc.
Congratulations Steve & Kimberly Martin,
Owners of Growing Opportunities, Inc.
Alcalde, NM
Growing Opportunities is a hydroponic greenhouse operation devoted to being conservation-oriented business dedicated to providing fresh, locally grown, pesticide free agricultural products year round to New Mexico and surrounding states. Growing Opportunities is located in Alcalde, New Mexico Rio Arriba County on 3.5 acres of privately owned land.
Growing Opportunities have recently expanded and will now be providing over a hundred and fifty thousand pounds of pesticide-free tomatoes including beefsteak tomatoes and 12 different varieties of heirloom tomatoes per year as well as over ten-thousand English cucumbers year round for many commercial accounts throughout the states. Hydroponic grown tomatoes and cucumbers have a better appearance, longer shelf life, superior nutrient content and better taste than field grown crops.
The expansions from two hydroponic greenhouses to four have doubled their capacity to meet their customer demand for more products. Growing Opportunities utilizes computer and multiple sensor controlled hydroponic greenhouses for efficient production. All plant growth, through the years, has been accomplished by utilizing pesticide free methods that encompass biological controls for pest management. Growing Opportunities uses bees as pollinators, thus keeping the plant pollination as optimal and naturally occurring as possible.
Hydroponics is derived from Greek and literally means, “working water”. In hydroponics, the water does the work because it brings all the necessary nutrients directly to the plant (in soil, the plant has to do the work by developing an extensive root system to obtain its nutrients). Due to this difference, plants grow much faster in a hydroponic garden than in a soil garden, and they usually produce greater and more consistent yields in a smaller amount of space. Another major advantage to hydroponics is the reduced water usage: you use one tenth the water in hydroponics that you do in soil gardening, and your expended hydroponic nutrient solution can be recycled by pouring it on your house plants, garden, or lawn. On the nutritional value of hydroponic produce, Plant Research Technologies Inc., an independent analytical laboratory in San Jose, CA., reported dramatic a mean increase of 50% in vitamin and mineral content in tomatoes.
“The Espanola SBDC has provided invaluable business assistance to us for years. Ida Carrillo assisted us in creating a business plan and got us in touch with ELCDC, Ron Brown and Sonny Lujan, and The Loan Fund, Joe Justice and Leroy Pacheco and their support team, who were both of our lenders for our expansion. Fortunately, we were indeed able to acquire the loan needed and our expansion has been completed and in production. Throughout the entirety of our funding search, Ida and Julianna Barbee were there to provide every assistance they could to help us achieve this goal.” Steven and Kimberly Martin.
Contact Information:
Growing Opportunities, Inc.
(505) 852-9256