Mid-Ohio Farm at NBC4 reaps first harvest

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) - The first harvest of vegetables at the Mid-Ohio Farm at NBC4 happened Wednesday morning. NBC4 Today anchors Monica Day and Matt Barnes helped grab some of the first leafy greens to witness the big occasion.

The MOF@NBC4 started taking shape in May by marking off the territory on a two-acre plot behind the television station. Bo McMahon, the farmer, walked off and marked the lot where the grow towers would be erected.

The grow towers can grow up to 20 times the amount of food by going vertical as opposed to traditional horizontal farming. Each tower contains 20 spots to plant seedlings and enough room for them to mature.

The irrigation system contains fertilizer and drips from the top and trickles down through the tower. At the base of each tower, rooted veggies like beets, radishes, and carrots are growing. The whole plan is to maximize the potential harvest and extend the growing season starting in early spring and ending in late fall.

The first harvest included different varieties of leafy greens like lettuce. The produce was distributed to neighbors along the Riverview Road neighborhood. This area includes nearly 2,500 people who are either foreign exchange students at Ohio State University, immigrants or recently naturalized citizens. Many of them do not have the transportation to travel to the nearest grocery stores.

The MOF@NBC4 plans to add a community garden with raised beds for neighbors to grow produce from their homelands since the veggies are difficult to find here in the states.

The original plan at the farm was to grow about 100,000 pounds of food annually, and now the goal exceeds that by another 200,000 pounds.