Mangilao, Guam - Fifty-five attendees filled up the classroom at the College of Natural and Applied Sciences at the University of Guam to learn the process of hydroponic farming.  

Michelle Crisostomo, President of Guåhan Sustainable Culture, was thrilled to host such a workshop. “Our organization is extremely passionate about food security, and I have personally been wanting to put this together for a very long time. I’m extremely grateful to have expert horticulturist Frank Cruz willing to come back into the classroom to teach this workshop and share his knowledge. The support we received from him and from CNAS-UOG helped make this a huge success.”

The class was originally limited to thirty-five students but tickets sold out two weeks before the event. More seats were added in the last week to fill the entire classroom and tickets sold out again two days before the event.

Participants became familiar with the history of hydroponics, the reasons and benefits of growing hydroponically, and the different types of methods and systems that can be used. Nutrients, growing medium, and water quality were also explained. Attendees were able to view different systems and products provided by GU Hydro, and take home a hydroponic planter at the end of the event.

More photos can be viewed here!

“Many attendees were there because they wanted to learn how to grow their own healthy food in a limited space, using less natural resources. Some were interested in learning more about growing Cannabis,” says Michelle, who is also the owner of GU Hydro. Her company specializes in hydroponics and operates remotely, providing services for projects such as consulting, system installations for homes or businesses, and special ordering of equipment upon request. Michelle opened her business seven months ago and says that the biggest trend she sees is a more environmentally conscious, curious and knowledgeable consumer base. “Education is critical, and there is a big move towards understanding what’s in your food and how it’s grown,” she says.

Guåhan Sustainable Culture has an Aquaponics workshop coming up in May, and plans another Microgreens and Hydroponic workshop in the summer. For more information, you can email Marlyn Oberiano or Michelle Crisostomo at gusustainable@gmail.com or visit www.gusustainable.org.