A new initiative led by Becky Ferguson — dubbed “That Lettuce Lady” — is bringing fresh produce directly to residents of the Wrangell Senior Apartments and others in need while demonstrating the accessibility of small-scale agriculture.

The produce — green butter salanova, red butter salanova, chalupa romaine, green batavia and more —  is grown in a hoop house on the yard at the senior apartments, using the Kratky method, a passive technique described by Ferguson as the easiest form of hydroponic gardening.

By placing plants directly above nutrient-rich water, roots naturally absorb both moisture and oxygen as the water level recedes. Because the system requires no pumps, timers, electricity or complex machinery, it offers a simplified option for growers of all experience levels.

She discovered the approach out of practical necessity.

“I discovered this when I lived in Wadleigh,” she said of her time on the island off the west coast of Prince of Wales Island, across from Klawock. “I’m 76 and I have a disability, so I can’t be digging around in the dirt anymore. I needed something different and easier.”

She then turned to the Kratky method and was drawn to its low-maintenance requirements that allow crops to thrive without constant intervention.

Ferguson said hydroponic gardening in Wadleigh highlighted for her the importance of neighbors helping neighbors, particularly given that fresh produce is not always easy or affordable to find in the more isolated towns in Southeast Alaska.

She explained that her latest project, which started at the end of June, aims to address these regional challenges by sharing the harvested lettuce directly with seniors at the Wrangell Senior Apartments.

The operation was funded by the Alaska Micro-Grants for Food Security Program, an initiative administered by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Agriculture using federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service.

The competitive program provides money — up to $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations — to help Alaskans expand local food production through small-scale gardening, greenhouses and passive hydroponic setups in food-insecure regions.

Wrangell’s Oceanview Gardens, as well as John and Artha DeRuyter, are also recent recipients of the same micro-grant.

Ferguson’s effort aims to show that fresh produce can be grown almost anywhere — whether in a greenhouse, home, apartment or on a porch — using simple containers like quart jars, five-gallon buckets or repurposed totes.

The project was carried out with support from Wrangell Senior Apartments board members Ethel Dando and Jill Privett, with the Hungry Beaver, Johnson Construction & Building Supply, The Alaskan Gypsy, Stikine Inn and volunteers who assisted at the hoop house.

Community outreach remains a central component of the initiative. Ferguson said that if a person brings her a five-gallon bucket, she will demonstrate how to craft the necessary lid and provide a starter kit containing rock wool (a man-made mineral wool used to help with growing in hydroponic operations), a net cup, nutrients and a food-grade bucket liner.

Ferguson intends to give away her hoop house structure through a drawing sometime in September. Looking ahead, she plans to donate all of her water tables to Evergreen Elementary so that students can learn the growing process firsthand.

“The whole reason for doing this is to educate,” she said.

In addition to providing vegetables to residents of the apartments, she said she is happy to give produce to anyone else in need as long as she has a surplus. People can contact Ferguson through her Facebook page or by stopping at the hoop house.