Rabbi Maklev's tour
From the field to the plate. Deputy Minister of Chareidi Development in the Office of the Prime and Minister of Transportation, Rabbi Uri Maklev, made a special tour last week of the Research Center for Technological Development in Beit Chilkiya. He visited the largest such research site in the whole Middle East, spreading over 30 dunam and located in the fields of the chareidi settlement, Beit Chilkiya, in the regional district of Nachal Sorek. He examined agricultural developments of bug-free produce grown on hydroponic beds with no contact with the ground.
Rabbi Maklev arrived with accompaniment of the Department director, Mr. Ro'i Assaf and members of the local district, including local kashrus supervisors. He visited the labs and testing tables and their produce. Not only do these vegetable grow severed from the ground, they do not contain earth in their beds. They thrive in water pipes with special nutrients, allowing for a sterile atmosphere assuring no insect infestation.
The entire entourage, governmental and local experts, went on to the hydroponic beds. "This a technological high-tech enterprise rather than an agricultural one. We, as chareidim, are happy and proud to be the ones to bring this technological advancement to Israel and feel that it should duly be recognized and promoted as providing bug-free produce to the vegetable markets," Rabbi Maklev declared on the tour.
"The hothouse area is completely sterile. Entrance therein is very vigilant since we guarantee that our produce can be consumed straight from its package to the plate without need to soak or disinfect."
The approach is based on the understanding that plants grow using nutrients that are really carried by water. The soil normally serves as the storage medium of the nutrients, however soil is of no direct benefit to the plants themselves. If the nutrients are artificially embedded in the water that surrounds the roots, the plants can flourish without any need for soil. Insect pests, on the other hand, live in the soil.
Hydroponics in general is an established growing method in use for hundreds of years.
