 
Description:
Though Thunder Bay has rice paddies and potato farms, the Hydroponic Gardens are the main source of vegetables and fruit for Wind Reach. The reason why the gardens are the main food source is that the coast is often hit by deadly storms, and if they come early, then often times the gardens are the only things that keep people from starvation. Since they are underground, the gardens are able to produce year round. However, during the winter the garden receives less light and less water to grow the needed harvest. The workers who tend the garden are considered Avora, while Drudges tend to that gathering of human waste for the fertilizer pools, cleaning of the pools, and scrubbing of mirrors.
As the sun rises, the chamber in Hydroponic Gardens began to glow with light. Shafts and natural cervices have been fitted with mirrors, allowing the natural light to reflect and brighten the chamber. The same shafts allow rain and small streams of melting snow to feed down into the main center pool. A stone bridge crosses the main pool and sections off the Gardens into four main sections, and each section is divided into several rings. The first ring that leaves off the center pool is known as the fertilizer pools. Dek bring wheelbarrows of manure and urine from the human waste pits to these pools. They shovel the waste into pools while algae turns the waste into nutrient rich water and actually eats the odor as well. The staff uses water Reimancy to test the waste water and tell when it’s ready. After the algae has done its job the water moves into a cistern under the chamber to be piped into the gardens at certain times of the day. The rings beyond the waste pools are filled with small smooth rocks that allow the root systems to wedge themselves between them and suck up the water. They also prove a base for a specially grown moss that helps keep the plants from infection and disease. The moss grows at an increbible rate, when new pools are created Avora will cut up a section of the moss and seed it in the pool. Within 10 days large fist size clumps can be seen on the rocks, and even though the blue moss is non poisonous, it is extremely bitter and tough to eat. Cooks prepare the moss, by creaming it with beets or turnips and create a paste. People are able to live off of three tablespoons of the paste daily, however, doing so is a depressing prospect.
The northern section is for berry based bushes. The Thornberry is a sweet dark berry that produces its fruit during the fall of year. Thorns several inches in length cover the branches of the bushes; however, gathering crews place suspended cloth under the bush and allow the fruit to fall off after becoming ripe. Though this is the most common bush, black berries and blue berry bushes can be seen along with the thorn bushes.
The eastern section is for vine vegetables; like squash, pumpkins, and cucumbers. There is also a tiny pepper section, where a hot spicy pepper grows on a stone lattice work. The cooks often add it to the soup and meat during the winter months. Its heat is said to put fire in the blood and warm mind, just as much as the loins.
The western section is the root section; potatoes, onions, and garlic grow here. This section is the main winter crop, hardy enough to survive the cold winter and low lighting; the root section is the only source for fresh vegetables during the winter. Sadly, in order to harvest the plants, the workers must pull them up from there stone base. Most of these plants can have their roots cut in half and replanted, because the Inarta have breed them to grow hardy, it only takes an eighth to replant, providing more food for Wind Reach.
The southern section is the spring section, and contains several trees, as well as, the herb garden. The trees located in the southern section are two hundred years old, and have dedicated pools within their rings for them. Workers are constantly trimming and adding mirrors around the trees to allow them to grow wider, but not taller. The herb garden is fed excess water from the trees, since most of the herbs require less nutrients, and if they should die then the loss is minimal.
On the outside of the rings the excess water is contained in a circular pool. Clams brought from Thunder Bay are kept in the pool and allowed to eat off the last waste and nutrients left in the water. After a harvest, all plants except for trees and bushes are pulled from their stone bases and given over to weavers that use the plant fibers to create rope. The stones are removed and boiled to prevent disease. While drudges and Chiet enter the empty rings to scrub the interior walls with sand and ammonia water made from bat urine. The water is kept at bay due to an elaborate gate and piping system.
It is law that everyone takes care of the gardens at one point in their life. Yasi are brought in and shown the gardens to inspire them and fulfill this duty. Many Avora test the Yasi to see if they should work in the gardens, while others are given the same tasks as Dek in shoveling waste and cleaning stones. Though outsiders laugh at the idea that the caretakers are consider craftsmen instead of simple farmers, the Inarta know the amount of knowledge and skill it takes to keep this garden alive.
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