Ashwaubenon High School, near Green Bay, Wisconsin. has garnered some major media attention thanks to its innovative indoor farm, where students grow fresh produce for students throughout the school district.
The vegetables are planted using a hydroponic garden system, which runs on circulating water, special nutrients, LED lights, and doesn't use soil. Alex Tyink, a Wisconsin native, reimagined the 2,500-year-old technique while rooftop gardening in New York City and created the company Fork Farms to help people learn how to grow their own food.
In states like Wisconsin, where the winters are cold, year-round outdoor gardening can be a challenge. However, Ashwaubenon High School manages to produce 850 pounds of produce per month using its hydroponic system, feeding up to 2,000 students.
For many students, initiatives like this are a game-changer. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly one out of every eight households face food insecurity, and fresh produce is not always their first priority.
"A lot of our kids aren't exposed to fresh foods at home, just because it's financially hard for the families to purchase those kinds of things," Kaitlin Taurianen, the nutrition coordinator for the Ashwaubenon School District, told CBS News.
Not only are students being well fed, but they are also learning effective sustainable gardening practices and building community. Pollution from transporting fresh vegetables and fruits is nearly double the amount it takes to grow the produce in the first place.
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Growing fresh produce locally could generate up to 17 times less carbon pollution compared to transporting fruits and vegetables across the world. It can also make fresh, healthy food cheaper and more accessible in areas like food deserts, which exist all across the U.S.
"Food is already having to travel further and further to get from seed to plate. Our food system is failing us," Tyink added.
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