WH Schools looks to ‘go fresh’ with hydroponic wall
From fresh herbs like these to lettuce and other vegetables, West Holmes High School has invested in a new hydroponic wall program that will supply the cafeteria with plenty of fresh items to serve to students.
Over the past many years, school lunches have ebbed and flowed, changing vastly as the state tries to figure out ways to create a better quality and healthier menu for students.
West Holmes High School is taking that challenge to the next level.
Next year the school will have a hydroponic garden, growing its own herbs and vegetables that will be incorporated into the school district’s menu.
“It’s a wall, and they give you everything to get it started,” said Dawn Martin, West Holmes School District food service director. “It self-waters and does everything on its own.”
The initial venture into the world of hydroponics will include growing lettuce and a variety of vegetables and herbs.
The West Holmes FFA program will care for the wall and do the leg work, and Martin and FFA adviser Jaime Chenevey have already been in discussion on how they want the new program to develop.
“Anything produced from the wall will go to the kitchen, and we will be using those fresh vegetables and herbs from the hydroponic wall on our menu,” Martin said.
She said the initial cost of the wall is fairly expensive, coming in at around $5,000, so they will begin the program with just the one wall. The hope is the program will be successful enough that it will expand into more walls that can be implemented into each of the school buildings in the future.
She said they are currently looking into grant funding for the walls, and the hope is they will connect with local businesses and individuals who are willing to invest in the program once they catch the vision and importance of growing healthy alternatives for the menu.
“It’s kind of our own farm-to-school program,” Martin said, noting it is a fun and educational tool for the students, who invest time in caring for the wall and its produce.
Martin said many other schools have already invested in the hydroponic program and have been successful in doing so.
She said she is networking with a group of other food service directors who are currently involved with a hydroponic wall, and they said they have fresher, more attractive vegetables and herbs that are inviting more students to try them in their daily diet.
“It’s great because we know there aren’t any chemicals being put into the vegetables,” Martin said, adding the pride in growing their own food also factors into the decision, stating the FFA students will take great ownership in growing the produce.
The wall will be located inside the FFA room at the high school. The system includes watering, lighting and filtration capabilities, and the company provides all of the seeds to get started.
The wall should be up in the first month of school this fall, and Martin is excited about the possibilities.
“Any time we can introduce quality fresh vegetables and herbs into our menu, it is always going to be beneficial for the students,” Martin said.
With items like fresh tomatoes, lettuce, green peppers and basil on the horizon, the West Holmes menu should take on a new look in the 2024-25 school year.