Within the past few months, York High students who frequent the cafeteria have likely sighted the porous white barrel on wheels that has appeared beside the lunch trays. This is a Flex Farm™ , an interior gardening installation introduced into the commons as one in a series of sustainability ventures being undertaken by the kitchen staff and the broader district.
The executive of York High School’s farm-to-table department, Kate Chaisson, reports its origin story: district nutrition director Whitney Thornton first observed existing successes of the initiative across other schools and predicted it would be advantageous for our local, brief farming season. She thereafter secured the first Flex Farm for the middle school in 2023 with grant funding. It was very prolific, generating fresh salad ingredients, herbs and garnishes, and greenhouse plants. Thus, additional grant-funded Flex Farms were acquired in 2024 for the commons as well as the VES STEAM classroom.
In terms of the Farm’s contents and distribution, Chaisson explains, “We primarily grow various varieties of lettuce in the Flex Farms, as it is a fast-growing, adaptable crop that thrives in controlled environments and yields high amounts. The lettuce is mainly used within our school cafeterias, but we share surplus with other schools when needed.” She touts that an abundance of over 25 pounds of plant matter can be produced within 28 days. This is by virtue of two innovative technologies that the system features: hydroponics and vertical farming.
Hydroponics is a type of cultivation that completely eliminates the usage of soil and sustains plant growth solely through hydration. The term originates from the Greek words “hydro,” meaning water, and “ponos,” meaning labor. It became popular after the prohibition of methyl bromide, which is destructive to the atmospheric ozone layer, in agronomic soil purification. Historically, hydroponic farming provided sustenance for U.S. Army troops located on barren Pacific islands during WWII, which led to the existence of effective farms in America, Europe, Africa, and Asia by the 1950s. Its reliability makes it an ideal candidate for developing nations, where means for food production is scarce [2].
In hydroponics, a plant is either anchored in an aggregate substrate, a porous growing medium [3], or left to suspend in a basin. The plant is periodically fed a nutrient-rich solution by a mechanical pump. Its operator also has discretion over indicators such as temperature, nutrient content, pH, and water distribution [1]. In terms of plant vitality, growth continues at an accelerated pace and is thus more prolific. In addition, hydroponics are adaptive to a broader range of climates and are less likely to be contaminated by blights, insects, and fungi. Users will also be surprised to know of its numerous practical advantages. For instance, these earth-less systems are astoundingly water-efficient, consuming a mere 10 percent of the water used by conventional techniques. It is also naturally space-conservative due to receiving equal nutrients within a finite area rather than growth in large-scale, industrial agriculture [2]. Once the need for specialized equipment and expertise is overcome, hydroponic systems are very low-maintenance. Transplant shock for unanchored plants is negligible, and restoring soil fertility is unnecessary due to, well, the lack of it [2].
While the technology is no longer in its infancy, hydroponics is an indispensable component in the burgeoning industry of vertical farming. It is exactly as it sounds, and countless permutations of the cafeteria barrel exist. Some use aeroponics, in which nutrients and water are delivered by way of an aerosol, and aquaponics, involving an indirect bacteria culture achieved through fish breeding [4].
Regardless of the models, vertical growing is revolutionizing urban agriculture, especially for those with minimal growing space and poor environmental conditions, as a standing model can be grown indoors and, in turn, year-round. Similarly to hydroponics, the steward of these lofty plants has complete control of growing variables such as degree of LED lighting (a solar substitute) [4] to ensure prime and consistent plant quality, all while remaining financially viable [1].
Naturally, large-scale commercial operations have seized the immense economic promise of vertical farming. Maarten Vandecruys, executive of vertical-growing company Urban Crops, notes that “inside the system, every day is a summer day without a cloud in the sky”. Although this method is preferred for its greater profit and distribution, consumers can still enjoy their very own affordable, fresh farmer’s market in unlikely places, such as their urban residences and university dormitories, and their crops retain the nutritional value that transportation and processing depreciate [4].
At the local level, the vertical and hydroponic Flex Farms are a truly educational experience. Chaisson comments that the systems provide students with empirical observations of a plant’s life cycle and the novel ways in which renewability can be harnessed. The students derive appreciation for the idea that “with the right tools, fresh, nutritious food can be grown indoors year-round,” encouraging a “mindset of sustainability, innovation, and self-sufficiency.”
In addition to Flex Farms, the cafeteria’s eco-friendly repertoire includes biodegradable trays, utensils, and other compostable products. Chaisson speaks on behalf of the nutritional committee who aspire to supplement future lunchtime offerings by experimenting with other crop varieties. In the meantime, the student community can expect to enjoy garden-fresh lettuce, coming soon to a farm near you.
Works Cited:
https://www.ambius.com/resources/blog/sustainability/the-future-of-food#:~:text=Hydroponic%20growing%20is%20essentially%20growing,that%20traditional%20farming%20techniques%20use (1)
https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/hydroponics.html (2)
https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/hydroponics#:~:text=Hydroponics%20is%20the%20technique%20of,%2C%20hobbyists%2C%20and%20commercial%20enterprises (3)
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170405-how-vertical-farming-reinvents-agriculture (4)
