This week, we were privileged to have staff from a hydroponics lab on campus come and speak to us at the Rose Cafe. First, however, I must comment on how fresh the hydroponic lettuce was! I could seriously taste a difference between the hydroponic crop and the soil crop. This pleasant discrepancy was essentially explained by our guest speakers. The PowerPoint presented displayed the various hydroponic systems using basic terminology understandable to all, even those with absolutely no prior exposure to the field (me). Nonetheless, the systems do make a lot of sense. Constant exposure to water and air is definitely a different, and perhaps even better, approach than soil. Later, we talked about the effect different types of LED lights have on the plant. Prior to this week’s Rose cafe, I had no idea that this field had so much breath and nuance! Lastly, we were able to view a few slides featuring pictures of crops in Japanese grocery stores that were grown hydroponically. I will definitely be on the look-out for more hydroponically grown crops, and cannot wait to taste more!