Drought, renewed interest in small and hobby farms, concerns about how our food is produced, increased consumer demand for locally produced and organic foods, and an always-present drive to discover better farming methods have all contributed to a growing interest in fodder systems. Homemade hydroponic fodder systems have become very popular, especially among hobbyists and small family farms.
You may have asked yourself: “Should I build a system myself, or should I buy a commercial system?”
Though we do have a clear bias – we think everyone should own one of our systems – here is our best attempt at an objective analysis of the question:
One only need peruse a little bit some of the Facebook pages (here are a couple of the more popular groups: https://www.facebook.com/groups/316422451737424/, https://www.facebook.com/groups/249932255174313/) dedicated to fodder production on homemade systems to see that: a) growing fodder is fun. b) growing fodder can be frustrating; the success of these systems is hit and miss. c) mold is a big problem.
If you are a tinkerer and an engineer at heart who can afford a lot of uncertainty and have a relatively small operation, there’s nothing wrong with building your own system in your garage or basement. I saw one the other day in a bathtub. It’s fun, and it’s a far better way to feed a few animals than with grain or dry hay.
If you have a small operation and want fodder for your animals, but don’t want to spend the time acquiring parts, building your system and months trying to get it right, our “table top” systems are not as expensive as you might think. They’ll give you thick, lush, mold-free fodder for your animals from the very first week.
If you have a large, commercial farming operation, you can’t afford to make an investment in a system that isn’t tested and proven. The FodderTech system has been developed over years of trial and error to grow natural, mold-free fodder, achieve 97%+ germination rates, high yields and low labor inputs. There is nothing worse than to make a big investment in a fodder system for your farm only to discover it’s plagued with mold, requires too much labor and maintenance and is unreliable. Our system is built to reduce your labor and costs, apply a multistage process to the prevention of mold growth without the use of bleach, peroxide or harsh chemicals and above all to be a trusted and reliable feed source for your animals.