July 25th 2023.
When Derek Drake started his company Ditto Foods, he had one mission: to focus on social responsibility and sustainability by providing the highest quality produce to Community Supported Agriculture groups, wholesalers, and local restaurants. His 18-wheel semi-truck parked in his driveway was the first step in achieving his goal and has since become one of the most innovative farming companies in Chicago.
Drake has made hydroponics—plants that grow without traditional soil or soilless mixes—a more commonplace way of producing fresh vegetables. According to Black Business.com, Drake's process is not only more sustainable than other agriculture practices, it is also more efficient, as hydroponic farming can create more vegetables and herbs in half the time as traditional farming. What began as a way for Drake to recover from losing his job in hospitality following the COVID-19 pandemic has become a way of minimizing his carbon footprint while delivering fresh food to Chicago residents. With LED lights and water, Drake can grow up to 3 acres in a 320-square-foot shipping container.
Drake, who has more than 70,000 followers on TikTok, has made it his mission to inspire people from Chicago and beyond to take food-growing into their own hands. He regularly posts content on TikTok and fields questions from farming hopefuls asking how to get started. He is also straightforward about the work it takes to make it successful.
“There are some things that can go wrong, mostly user error on my part. We had some AC issues and we lost everything and we had to start over,” he recalled. However, he is still passionate about the potential of hydroponics and said, “This is a viable business and it’s a great opportunity to grow local, clean produce for our local community.”
The process is becoming more mainstream, as 2,000-plus farms are now growing hydroponic farms, a more than 5 percent increase since 2020, according to Gitnux. This has been made possible thanks to Drake, who has dedicated himself to making hydroponic farming accessible to everyone. He has done this by sharing his knowledge and resources with the public, and he will continue to do so as hydroponics become more and more popular.
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