My Farm Design

My Planning Process

The process of developing a plan for your indoor farm system can seem intimidating when you're unsure where to even start. A good first step is to narrow down your growing goals by determining which of the many benefits of starting an indoor smart farm system are most important to you. I determined that the top priorities of my farm build were:

Below is a sketch map of what I envisioned my operation to look like:

For the farm build, I decided to go with what I deemed the most beginner friendly out of all the hydroponic systems we had covered: Deep Water Culture (aka DWC).

My design consists of two DWC buckets, a seed germination dome, and grow lights which I've set up on an adjustable wire rack. The adjustable height gives me room to accommodate my crops when they grow taller and need more room.

Crops and Harvest Time

For my first hydroponic harvest, I chose to grow peppers and tomatoes since I had learned in our first agriculture lesson on crop selection that these are two crops that tend to grow well with hydroponics. To further ensure successful results I decided to choose variations of these crops that grow smaller than most you would find at a grocery store.

Deep Water Culture

Conducting Needs Assessment

Once I had the details of my farm system figured out i.e. which crops I was growing and which hydroponic system I would build, I could begin compiling my list of materials. In order to figure out which supplies I would require I had to assess my space and make note of any potential risk factors or obstacles that might lead to an unsuccessful system. The following are the risk factors I knew I would need to consider:

It's important to practice proper electrical safety with any electrical home appliances in order to ensure both personal and public safety- especially when you're adding water to the equation. The last thing anyone wants is to risk serious injuries from something as easily avoidable as a poor installation. Avoiding damaged or worn cords and open wiring mitigates the risk of electrocution, I wouldn't have to worry too much about this since all the electrical appliances I planned on using were arriving brand new and in good shape. Another good practice is to organize your cords neatly. This is something that requires playing around with as it depends on the layout of your system, length of the cables and how far everything is from the nearest outlet. For both safety and aesthetic purposes (and my sanity) I wanted to avoid having a tangled mess of wires and I did so by tying my cables together using string (repurposed straps of used covid masks) and concealing them by aligning them neatly along the wire metal rack I was using to hold all of my equipment.

2.) Pests/Contamination

3.) Pet interference

My Materials

Image	Classification
	Sunsugar tomato seeds A hybrid cherry tomato variety that is known for it's sweet taste. Tomatoes are known to work well with hydroponics. This variety's size and harvest time make it very compatible with indoor growing. Approximate Value: $1-4
	Mini rainbow pepper seeds Mini sweet rainbow pepper plants produce adorable, miniature peppers in the colors of red, yellow, orange, brown, and green. This variety's size and harvest time make it very compatible with indoor growing. Approximate Value: $1-4
	Seedling germination dome Essentially a plastic tray and lid designed to trap in humidity and used for seedling starting. This germination dome helps accelerate germination rates and speed by maintaining your growing medium moist for longer. Approximate Value: $40
	Indoor LED grow lights A category of artificial light specifically designed to help plants grow and thrive. They often come in a wide spectrum of colors that can be determined based on the needs of a particular crop. They are also more energy-efficient and produce less heat than other types of grow lights. Approximate Value: $22
	DWC 5 gallon bucket grow systems A pre-compiled kit for indoor growing using the deep water culture method of hydroponics. Good for beginners. Approximate Value: $50
	Hydroton Leca clay A popular growing medium for indoor farming. Leca is an acronym for "lightweight expanded clay aggregate" pebbles. Approximate Value: $20-40
	Dry Complete Combo Fertilizer Kit A pre-compiled set of fertilizer ingredients including classic MasterBlend recipe for 5 gallons of nutrient solution. Approximate Value: $24
	pH and TDS Meter combo A pH meter is a scientific instrument that measures the acidity and alkalinity of a water based solutions in pH (potential hydrogen), this can be used to ensure your nutrient solution remains at the ideal level. An electrical conductivity meter measures the electrical conductivity in a solution and can be used in a similar manner to monitor the amount of nutrients, salts or impurities in your water. This set includes both. Approximate Value: $12
	General Hydroponics pH Control Kit A set of base solution and acid solution that can be used to raise or lower the pH in your water reservoir as needed. Approximate Value: $19
	portable USB fan A small portable fan that connects with a USB and is used to creates a current of air for cooling or ventilation. Good air circulation allows your plants to better transpire and absorb nutrients and also decreases humidity reducing the chances of mold and bacteria growth in your system. The size and practicality of this device makes it very convenient for a hydroponic system. Approximate Value: $22
	Surge protection power strip A power strip gives you the ability to plug multiple devices into a single wall outlet. A surge protector is a type of power strip which is specifically designed to withstand a power surge and keep your electronics safe. Approximate Value: $19
	GFCI outlet adapter A very vital electrical safety device that stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. It is designed to inhibit electrical accidents by instantly blocking electric power in the event of a ground-fault. This is a necessary component of any operation that is running electrical appliances in close proximity to water and other fluids. Highly reduces the risk of fatal hazards. Approximate Value: $32
	24-hour Mechanical timer A device used to automate the usage of most small home appliances and other electrical devices. You can conserve time, money, and energy by programming your mechanical timer to toggle indoor lighting and other appliances on and off at your desired schedule. Best used in hydroponics after determining the hours of daily light your plant will need to thrive. Approximate Value: $13
	Digital thermometer A smart device used for measuring temperature and humidity. Can be used to track the conditions of your nutrient solution in your hydroponics system or of the water in your storage reservoir, ultimately aiding the objective of maintaining optimum conditions. Approximate Value: $13
	Trellis plant support A framework of light metal bars, mainly used to support and display climbing plants like tomatoes. Approximate Value: $12
	Adjustable wire rack A heavy-duty double-tiered steel rack traditionally used for storing clothing and accessories. I've repurposed this by slightly modifying the assembly so that the position of the top wire deck and horizontal bracing are swapped. The wheels also allow for easy mobility as you're setting up your farm system. Approximate Value: $80
	Moving furniture dolly A tool consisting of a flat base with four wheels used to transport heavy items from one location to the next. This can be useful for disposing of old water from your 5-gallon buckets and transferring new water if your water source is a considerably large distance away from your farm system. Approximate Value: $25

My Materials

Sunsugar tomato seeds

A hybrid cherry tomato variety that is known for it's sweet taste. Tomatoes are known to work well with hydroponics. This variety's size and harvest time make it very compatible with indoor growing.
Approximate Value: $1-4

Mini rainbow pepper seeds

Mini sweet rainbow pepper plants produce adorable, miniature peppers in the colors of red, yellow, orange, brown, and green. This variety's size and harvest time make it very compatible with indoor growing.
Approximate Value: $1-4

Seedling germination dome

Essentially a plastic tray and lid designed to trap in humidity and used for seedling starting. This germination dome helps accelerate germination rates and speed by maintaining your growing medium moist for longer.
Approximate Value: $40

LED grow lights

A category of artificial light specifically designed to help plants grow and thrive. They often come in a wide spectrum of colors that can be determined based on the needs of a particular crop. They are also more energy-efficient and produce less heat than other types of grow lights.
Approximate Value: $22

DWC 5 gallon bucket grow systems

A pre-compiled kit for indoor growing using the deep water culture method of hydroponics. Good for beginners.
Approximate Value: $50

Hydroton Leca clay

A popular growing medium for indoor farming. Leca is an acronym for "lightweight expanded clay aggregate" pebbles.
Approximate Value: $20-40

Dry Complete Combo Fertilizer Kit

A pre-compiled set of fertilizer ingredients including classic MasterBlend recipe for 5 gallons of nutrient solution.
Approximate Value: $24

pH and TDS Meter combo

A pH meter is a scientific instrument that measures the acidity and alkalinity of a water based solutions in pH (potential hydrogen), this can be used to ensure your nutrient solution remains at the ideal level. An electrical conductivity meter measures the electrical conductivity in a solution and can be used in a similar manner to monitor the amount of nutrients, salts or impurities in your water. This set includes both.
Approximate Value: $12

General Hydroponics pH Control Kit

General Hydroponics pH Control Kit A set of base solution and acid solution that can be used to raise or lower the pH in your water reservoir as needed. Approximate Value: $19

Portable USB fan

A small portable fan that connects with a USB and is used to creates a current of air for cooling or ventilation. Good air circulation allows your plants to better transpire and absorb nutrients and also decreases humidity reducing the chances of mold and bacteria growth in your system. The size and practicality of this device makes it very convenient for a hydroponic system.
Approximate Value: $22

Surge protector power strip

A power strip gives you the ability to plug multiple devices into a single wall outlet. A surge protector is a type of power strip which is specifically designed to withstand a power surge and keep your electronics safe.
Approximate Value: $19

GFCI outlet adapter

A very vital electrical safety device that stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. It is designed to inhibit electrical accidents by instantly blocking electric power in the event of a ground-fault. This is a necessary component of any operation that is running electrical appliances in close proximity to water and other fluids. Highly reduces the risk of fatal hazards.
Approximate Value: $32

24-hour Mechanical timer

A device used to automate the usage of most small home appliances and other electrical devices. You can conserve time, money, and energy by programming your mechanical timer to toggle indoor lighting and other appliances on and off at your desired schedule. Best used in hydroponics after determining the hours of daily light your plant will need to thrive.
Approximate Value: $13

Digital thermometer

A smart device used for measuring temperature and humidity. Can be used to track the conditions of your nutrient solution in your hydroponics system or of the water in your storage reservoir, ultimately aiding the objective of maintaining optimum conditions.
Approximate Value: $13

Trellis plant support

A framework of light metal bars, mainly used to support and display climbing plants like tomatoes.
Approximate Value: $12

Adjustable wire rack

A heavy-duty double-tiered steel rack traditionally used for storing clothing and accessories. I've repurposed this by slightly modifying the assembly so that the position of the top wire deck and horizontal bracing are swapped. The wheels also allow for easy mobility as you're setting up your farm system.
Approximate Value: $80

Moving furniture dolly

A tool consisting of a flat base with four wheels used to transport heavy items from one location to the next. This can be useful for disposing of old water from your 5-gallon buckets and transferring new water if your water source is a considerably large distance away from your farm system.
Approximate Value: $25