Independence, Healthy Lifestyle
BY SHANNA O’MARA
260 Phalanx Road • Colts Neck, N.J. 07722
TheJournalNJ.com | MAY 2020 19
The aeroponic vertical tower growing system allows year-round growth in a small space.
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Water Softener Salt
Delivered Free to Colts Neck Residents
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Water Softener Salt
Delivered Free to Colts Neck Residents
732-842-5270
HOURS:
M-F: 8:00 - 6:00
SAT: 8:00 - 3:00
CLOSED TUES. & SUN.
AMEX
MC & VISA
With a passion for community service and a drive to always
learn, one Colts Neck teen devoted much of this time recently
to helping others through his Eagle Scout project.
Owen Krupa, a Colts Neck resident and 10th grader at Saint John
Vianney, began working with Oasis TLC last spring as he prepared to
mission to promote inclusion and acceptance of autistic individuals
into their local communities. The organization is based in Middletown
with farmland in Red Bank.
Fueled by a personal passion to help others, Krupa decided to
organization provides residency, social programs and work experience
for adults on the autism spectrum.
“One of several ways they are able to do this is through farming,
and their methods are very environmentally conscious,” Krupa said.
“I, too, have a passion for eco-friendly methods and sustainability and
saw an opportunity to help them.”
Oasis TLC leased 7 acres of farmland and began a horticultural
program years ago with support from Middletown Township Committee,
the mayor, Monmouth Conservation Foundation, NJDEP Green
Acres, and NY/NJ Baykeeper. This land is used to provide meaningful
work and community interaction among the individuals residing
there.
Krupa, a student of SJV’s Early College Academy Program, decided
he wanted to enhance the residents’ experience with an aeroponic
vertical tower growing system which would allow them to grow produce
year-round in a small space and with less water.
He began raising money and collecting materials by setting up a
GoFundMe page. Within just a few weeks, Krupa said he raised more
than $3,000.
“One of the businesses that responded to my letters was Barlow’s
Garden Center in Sea Girt,” Krupa said. “Barlow’s generously donated
pre-grown seedlings so that Oasis TLC would have produce growing
that much quicker.”
Krupa soon began the actual work of setting up the growing system
which would allow residents to grow crops indoors or outdoors, in
the presence of sunlight or an LED bulb.
30 percent,” Krupa said. “It provides growth three times faster than
conventional gardening, uses 90 percent less water and utilizes 90
percent less space. I also had a DIY aeroponic system built using a tote
and PVC pipe to integrate it with Oasis TLC’s existing hydroponics
system, using the water and nutrients from the hydroponics to feed the
plants.”
Krupa’s project will help current and future residents learn to grow
their own produce while encouraging a healthier lifestyle. But they’re not
those at Oasic TLC and himself.
“When we uplift or improve the community in some way, when we
for volunteer work and community service. Religious, educational and charitable
organizations provide many service opportunities. When it comes to
and the passion to do something about that need.”
/TheJournalNJ.com