Roger Mu, an entrepreneur from Texas now living in Shanghai, scoured local markets for jalapeño peppers but to no avail. Homesick for homemade salsa, he eventually decided to grow his own. Since he was iving in a cramped Shanghai apartment with no outdoor lawn or garden, this wasn’t a simple proposition. But he did have some space available: in the closet.
Mu studied manuals about hydroponics, a technique for growing plants that doesn’t require soil but rather uses nutrient-infused water to deliver plant nutrition. The plants’ roots find support by growing around pebbles, sand, woodchips, or anything granular they can weave around, rather than soil. It’s perfect for limited space—and limited small-scale farming. Mu used a special light borrowed from a video-production company to jump-start photosynthesis.
The first batch of 60 peppers turned out to be delicious. Next he tested his technique with heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers. Success—he had everything he needed to make the perfect salsa. Mu also realized that his homegrown vegetables were healthier than many store-bought options. “Food safety and quality in China is a bit iffy,” he says, “considering all the pesticides, fertilizers, and pollution dumped into fields here.”
via The Chinese Turn Their Rooftops (and Closets) Into Minifarms – Businessweek.
CHINDIA ALERT: You'll be living in their world, very soon 