This Purcellville, Va. facility produces 4,000 heads of fresh lettuce and other greens a week for sale to area restaurants and farmers markets and is quickly gaining a reputation as the “premier grower of gourmet lettuces and salad greens” in its area.

An entrepreneur in Montreal saw no reason for location or climate to stand in the way of fresh produce being available to the community all year – especially if that produce is grown using hydroponics.

In 2011, the world’s population hit seven billion and as we march on into the new year, the question begs to be asked: where are we going to get our food as the planet fills up with more people and less arable land?

This is it. This is the last of my Newbie Indoor Gardener chronicles. All of my basil has bushed out and my lettuces are crisp and healthy. I’m really happy with the results.

Let's roll on into what makes this ecologically sustainable medium such a premium choice for many hydroponic growers.