NETWorks, a Tucker-based cooperative of churches aligned to provide food and financial needs to those in need, is growing – literally.
Volunteer Neil Duggan, a retired aerospace engineer who has experience in hydroponic farming, is spearheading a NETWork project called “Growings,” which will utilize 4,000 square feet of unused space to create a vegetable farm.
Indoor-thriving plants like lettuce, kale, Roma tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers are now sprouting and nearly ready to be planted in the 1,500 growing slots in the warehouse area. About 33 600-watt bulbs will illuminate the area, which will allow the plants to mature in four to six weeks.
“Neil came to me one day and said, ‘I think we can build a farm in this space,’” NETWorks CEO David Fisher said. “We are very excited about this, especially the fact that it is not seasonal, and we will have fresh produce all year around.”
The initial $100,000 investment, which included new HVAC, plumbing and heat, was paid for through donations from NETWorks’ partnering churches, foundations and individuals, Fisher said.
Growings is expected to produce about 200 or more pounds of leafy greens monthly, which will be made available to clients who shop at the NETWorks grocery store.
NETWorks, a cooperative of 21 churches in the Northlake, Embry Hills, and Tucker area, helps food-insecure individuals with a two-pronged approach, offering temporary emergency food and support for people in need, including unhoused individuals, and ongoing help for those needing long-term solutions.
The project will depend heavily on volunteer participation in growing, maintaining and harvesting the crops, Fisher said. A sign-up link on the NETWorks site will go live in mid-March for volunteers.
