Town to Table started as a college project for Clark University student Jack Levine, who saw the appeal of hydroponic farming’s indoor year-round access while living and working on a hydro farm in Costa Rica.
Since then, Levine and Temen Kim, his best friend and Town to Table cofounder, scaled the project and bootstrapped it together to create a for-profit hydroponic greens company, currently operating out of repurposed freight containers at West Roxbury’s Catholic Memorial High School and the Boys & Girls Club of Metro South. These locales are no mistake: Town to Table engages the regional communities and students with the day-to-day work in the business; their involvement includes everything from seeding and data analysis to community engagement and marketing.
“We believe this learning platform can inspire students and community members of all ages to expand their roles as environmental stewards and advocates as we build a future that is sustainable,” says Levine, acknowledging that the first group of students to get involved with Town to Table came in to fulfill their required community service but stayed on even after they had completed their hours.
The hydroponic farms are currently growing basil and mixed lettuces, including Salanova, a hydroponic-specific green. Town to Table produces about 250 packs of each variety per week that are sold throughout Greater Boston; their labels advertise the greens as “wicked fresh, wicked local, wicked sustainable.”
Read the complete article at www-edibleboston-com.