CHICAGO (WLS) — Inside the Greater Chicago Food Depository is a new garden of sorts.<\/p>\n
Fragrant herbs are sprouting from four high-tech hydroponic units.<\/p>\n
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24\/7. Click here to watch<\/a><\/p>\n “We grow what the kitchen generally requests,” said Mick O’Donnell, the food bank’s hydroponic specialist. “Right now, basil and dill are a seasonal product. Over the winter, we are growing sage and chives, parsley and cilantro, and we look forward to growing more exciting things.”<\/p>\n The food bank is using soil-free technology to grow the ingredients year-round.<\/p>\n “Water is actually being pumped up and then is water falling down. So it’s cascading down over the roots,” O’Donnell said. “It’s harvested today; it’s refrigerated today. And it can be used tomorrow. So it’s as fresh as it gets. It’s hyperlocal.”<\/p>\n “I love harvesting,” volunteer Rita Pineda said. “It’s nice at the end. We have our big bags; we know it’s going to the kitchen. It’s going to be freshly prepared.”<\/p>\n That shipping-free, hyperlocal speed is a win for the environment. It’s also a win for the food bank’s bottom line.<\/p>\n