Some Central Kentucky high school students will soon be able to help grow food not only for themselves but the entire region.
On Thursday, officials with Morehead-based AppHarvest announced the expansion of their container farm program to Madison County High School in Richmond. Gov. Andy Beshear, who attended the event, appropriately held on Earth Day, said the move will not only provide food, but help students prepare for possible careers in a field with growing demand.
“With the opening of the company’s container farm classroom at Madison Central High School, AppHarvest is showing its commitment to the Commonwealth runs both strong and deep,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “This living, teaching lab will inspire and engage Kentucky students to learn about cutting-edge technology that will become the basis of the jobs of the future.”
Each retrofitted shipping container serves as a hands-on agricultural classroom for students, allowing them to grow and provide fresh leafy greens to their classmates and those in need in their communities. The company has previously opened container farms in Eastern Kentucky at Breathitt High School in Jackson, Shelby Valley High School in Pikeville and Rowan County Senior High School in Morehead, the site of the company’s flagship farm.
Founder & CEO Jonathan Webb said the latest expansion will not only help feed Kentuckians, but will help Eastern Kentucky’s struggling economy.
“We knew long before opening our Morehead farm that we wanted to invest in the region to help grow our growers and build on the many outstanding community and education programs focused on creating a more resilient Appalachian economy,” Webb said. “The technology in each of these container farms is a good example of what AppHarvest’s modern farmers use daily on a larger scale.”
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