The SOS Eco Farm
About This Program
In 2023, SOS officially launched The SOS Eco Farm at the MARC House. With 60 Tower Gardens capable of producing thousands of pounds of produce each year, The SOS Eco Farm will provide our community with a sustainable stream of fresh, healthy fruits, vegetables, and herbs at our food pantries and in our meals programs. The SOS Eco Farm is maintained by SOS Staff and MARC House staff and clients, and it is open for the community to visit and learn all about aeroponic farming systems.
In 2022, the SOS Foundation received funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to bring innovative urban agriculture to the Florida Keys, in partnership with MARC House. The SOS Eco Farm educates our community about sustainable agriculture and provides healthy produce for individuals and families who do not have adequate access to fresh food.
The SOS Eco Farm will produce over 15,000 pounds of produce each year. That is more than the weight of a whole elephant!
30
plant varieties
330
lbs harvested from
July-December of 2023
60
tower gardens
Access This Program
The SOS Eco Farm, situated at MARC House, 1401 Seminary St. Key West, Florida, welcomes visitors during regular store hours. We offer engaging field trips lasting 1-1.5 hours for schools and other groups, providing insights into tower gardens, the cultivation process, and hands-on snack demonstrations featuring freshly
harvested farm produce.
To arrange a field trip for your class or group, please reach out to Rebekah at rebekah@sosfoundation.org for scheduling
details and inquiries.
Where Is The Produce Going?
SOS Food Pantries
SOS has two food pantries: one on Stock Island and one in Key Largo. Fruits, vegetables, and herbs grown at The SOS Eco Farm are made available to SOS's food pantry clients for free!
Callahan Community Kitchen
SOS Staff and volunteers prepare thousands of nutritious meals each month at The SOS Callahan Community Kitchen. The meals are delivered to children and seniors in need throughout Monroe County, and they often include produce harvested from
The SOS Eco Farm.
Rainbow Cafe
MARC House's Rainbow cafe is an in-house cafe that uses produce frown at The SOS Eco Farm while teaching clients how to work in a commercial kitchen. Learn more about MARC using the button below.
Did you know?
Plants don't need soil to grow!
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All About Aeroponics
Plants need four things to grow: water, air, sunlight, and nutrients.
In traditional farming, plants receive nutrients from soil. However, the Florida Keys have limited land and poor soil quality. Soilless growing methods can be used to overcome these agricultural challenges.
The SOS Eco Farm Tower Gardens are soil-free, aeroponic growing systems. Aeroponic farming is a type of agriculture where plants grow in an air or mist environment. Instead of soil, our plants are grown in rockwool -- a lightweight material made from molten and basaltic rock. The rockwool is surrounded by air inside the Tower Garden. Rather than receiving nutrients from soil, the plants in the rockwool absorb the nutrient-rich water that rains down inside the tower!
