Oxbow High School is in the process of setting up a hydroponic farm built inside a modular container that will serve as an educational tool for students year-round. Stony Brook University in New York donated the structure, which was designed by Boston-based company Freight Farms, to Oxbow last fall. An average Leafy Green Machine unit costs about $76,000.
Oxbow staff learned about Stony Brook's plan to part ways with the Freight Farm through a facilities person at the college who is a relative of a staff member at Oxbow. The high school "seized the opportunity" to acquire the farm, Oxbow Principal Ken Cadow said via email.
Oxbow's Freight Farm will be located behind the school's library and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) lab, which opened last fall. The structure offers a hands-on learning opportunity for students in Oxbow's STEM classes, said Building Operations Supervisor Dylan Greer, who has been overseeing the project.
Instead of using soil, in indoor hydroponic farming, roots are submerged in nutrient-dense water that nourishes the plants. The indoor set-up allows crops to grow year-round using light from LED bulbs.
Read more at Valley News
