Lockport hydroponic pesticide-free farm takes root in the community

A financial consultant with a passion for sustainability and a Lewis University Romeoville alumna with social service and environmental science backgrounds are running a Lockport business – and loving it.

Ajay Nagarkatte, a consultant to financial institutions who is an urban farming enthusiast, started Second City Greens in 2021 in Lockport. Frank Voltattorni III joined as farm manager a short time later.

Second City Greens is a hydroponic farm that grows seven varieties of herbs, artisanal lettuces and select leafy greens, such as Swiss chard and kale.

Hydroponic plants grow in special nutrient-rich water instead of soil, Voltattorni said. Second City Greens also uses coconut coir – the natural fiber found on the outer husk of a coconut – as its supporting surface, he said.

The entire hydroponic farm is contained in two 40-foot truck trailers and gives a similar yield as plants grown on a “regular farm” of 8 to 10 acres, Voltattorni said.

“On top of it, we only use 5 gallons of water a day – even less than that in the summertime. We use up to 90% less water than a traditional farm," Voltattorni said.

Second City Greens uses no herbicides, pesticides or genetically modified organisms, Nagarkatte said.

Furthermore, the “carbon footprint” is low for both production and distribution since Second City Greens uses only water, organic nutrients and specialized energy-efficient LED lights, according to the Second City Greens website.

This last one is important because artificial lighting often is expensive and energy-intensive.

“We also have a powerful water purification system, which has a double benefit of keeping our irrigation systems clean,” Nagarkatte said.

Second City Greens grows seven days a week, 365 days a year in a controlled environment.

“Unless we get hit by a tornado, we are, for the most part, immune to the elements outside,” Nagarkatte said.

Customers include a half-dozen local grocery stores, food cooperatives and restaurants, as well as community members through Community Supported Agriculture subscriptions, Nagarkatte said.

Second City Greens products are harvested typically in the morning of delivery, which maximizes freshness and nutrients. Nothing “sits in a shipping container for a week,” Nagarkatte said.

Although Second City Greens is based in the Lockport/Joliet areas, Nagarkatte wants to expand to Homer Glen, New Lenox and “maybe Frankfort,” he said.

Nagarkatte said he’s thankful for the city of Lockport’s support.

“It’s not like we’re a huge revenue producer,” he said. “But the city of Lockport has supported us in different ways, and we’re really appreciative.”

Sustainably supports the local environment

Nagarkatte said he’s “passionate about the environment” and always wanted to initiate a project that was local, sustainable and involved agriculture, although not in agriculture’s “traditional sense.”

“Hydroponics was more innovative, so it checked a lot of boxes for me,” he said.

Voltattorni said he contacted Nagarkatte about six months after Nagarkatte launched Second City Greens.

At the time, Voltattorni was leading and developing food programs through the joint Fairmont School District/Lewis University program in Lockport during his tenure with AmeriCorps VISTA.

As part of that program, Voltattorni wanted to create a small hydroponic garden at Fairmont School District 89. So he reached out to Nagarkatte for practical advice, Voltattorni said.

After Voltattorni completed his tenure at AmeriCorps VISTA, Nagarkatte contacted him and asked whether he knew anyone who could help at Second City Greens.

Voltattorni said his response was, “I don’t know if this is OK, but me.”

“I grew up doing traditional farming and being passionate about giving back to the community and sustainability,” said Voltattorni, who also handles training, educational programs and community outreach for Second City Greens. “So it was a perfect fit for me.”

Voltattorni feels hydroponic farming will grow as an industry, especially where resources are scarce. Nagarkatte agreed, but he said he sees some limitations with hydroponics.

“With growing certain crops, you have to look at the economics,” Nagarkatte said. “Right now it’s efficient to grow certain greens, lettuces, herbs – it’s highly efficient for herbs – but is it efficient today for soybeans? And it could be efficient. It’s quite possible. Because five years ago, nobody thought we’d have hydroponic strawberries. But now we’re seeing them."

For more information about Second City Greens, visit secondcitygreens.com.