Hi tilak,
Setting-up a small hydroponic farm (or even a pilot backyard project) at an island where everything needs to get shipped-in (including fresh water) isn't exactly an easy task. As if suppling a (small) hotel in daily fresh vegetables and herbs wasn't 'delicate' enough - as you really need to assure the supply. Especially if you are totally inexperienced in growing vegetables and/or in hydroponics. Which I assume from what you were telling in your introduction. You need to decide on wether building (having it build), - or buying your setup (and net- or greenhouse as well). You'll need to explore local (and national) availability of anything you need in material or supply for either venture. There are different systems and types of setups as well, - obviously you also need to chose which type suits your location and needs and which is the easiest to run- in your case. Furthermore you need to know what kind of herbs, lettuce and vegetables, - in fact which varieties, are equally suited for your needs and your location and climatic conditions. Hydroponically grown lettuce and herbs are available in some supermarkets in Thailand and apparently well accepted and sold (as well by nationals as by expatriates). How this applies to rather cosmopolite and international customers of any tropical island's hotel is a different matter, though. Actually, you always have the choice of promoting the way you grow your veggies, - or alternatively not tell it explicitly. In fact the meaning of how "organic" differently grown vegetables really are, is rather complicated. To fully understand it, there is a need of extensive explanation about what is supposed to be and what is actually organic and what is not - and finally what is actually inorganic in the equation. Though, consumers mostly are not really interested in complicated explanations of facts, but want rather simple and easily understandable answers. Firstly, there are no inorganic vegetables or vegetable that aren't organic. Any vegetable or plant grows organically, as there isn't any other way yet to get plants to grow. Growing plants inorganically (as far as I know of, anyways) is impossible. All plants are made of cells and organic matter, that is what they always were and are - there are no inorganic plants, except fake-ones. On the other hand, plant nutrition itself is ALWAYS inorganic - there is not a single plant on this planet that is able to directly feed or nourish from a diet of organic matter of any kind. Organic matter has firstly to be broken down to a molecular level that is inorganic per definition, before it can be absorbed and used by plants. But who wants to listen to these actually true- but somewhat "scientifically wired" explanations?! With so called "organic food" or "organically grown vegetables" there was and is organic matter in the first place. It then undergoes "bacterial breakdown" into elements. For example: ammonia gets transformed to nitrite, which gets transformed to nitrate eventually, which can be absorbed. In fact only a range of dissolved salts (actually dissolved in water) can be absorbed through osmosis - and they truly are inorganic matter, practically and also per scientific definition! And on the other side, there is what is commonly called "nutrients" (for hydroponics), which are (exactly the same but) readily available salts, obviously already diluted in water. Those are industrially produced, though - and there is no bacterial or natural breakdown that took place prior (as it is not needed) to this state. Perhaps it took place prior in case of some of the minerals that are used, - but that probably was billions of years ago. It's certainly not a explanation you would give to your customers when serving a a newly created hydroponically grown spicy herb-salad, - or would you??! ;-) I guess that the main problem here is, that people who come up with the terms in use - and defend either concepts and the ideologies that goes with it, haven't necessarily figured out the actual basics of plant nutrition. On the other hand, people who have basically figured out how it really works and have understood the meaning of "organic" vs. inorganic in this context, can't figure out how to put all this in a slogan or easy terms that would please and convince the customer. ;-) About consulting, which I warmly recommend before taking any decisive steps: Could you be more precise about the location of your project, - because in your profile it says Sri Lanka, while you tell that you are looking for a contact in Thailand? I am located in Norther Thailand and I am an independent researcher and designer in hydroponics. Most importantly I am quite familiar with the local situation. In fact, I am building low-tech and low cost setups and I am also doing research in nutrient solutions. And as a matter of facts, I am able to producing a range of nutrient solutions from non-expensive basic raw materials all available in Thailand. I would be pleased to give you a more extensive overview about how it all works - in fact tell you in detail what you need to know and to consider BEFORE going into any venture of the kind. For more discretion, please contact me at *chiliparadise@gmail.com* - I'll provide my phone number (in Thailand) then. PS: this is not a commercial offer, - it is purely pro bono. But it goes without saying that it is limited in time and space - and only as far as it goes without costs and expenses from my side. Cheers,
Lucas | 
