Buckeye Local Jr./Sr. High School is taking the concept of "farm to table" a step further by launching a sustainable venture to grow fresh produce for school use through a new hydroponics system.
The Buckeye Local High School FFA and the junior high building are now housing three commercial-grade hydroponics towers, purchased in November through a $35,000 Grow Ohio Grant from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. The equipment, purchased from Fork Farms of Wisconsin, is being used to grow herbs, fruits and vegetables for the school cafeteria, Luke Fabry's culinary classes and potential fundraising sales.
Agriculture education teacher and FFA adviser Cameron Best worked with Superintendent Coy Sudvary, High School Principal Luke Parsons, Buckeye Local Junior High School Principal Andy Long, and VAZA Consulting representatives Dustin Pyles and Marcy Raymond on the grant application. Best said the Panther Produce: Growing Futures Hydroponics Lab project is designed to build agricultural career awareness and food systems knowledge for students in grades six through 12. The towers are already producing butterhead lettuce and basil, which have been supplied to the school kitchen and foods classes.
"There are 288 plant sites on each unit, and it can grow 900 plants in about 25 days," Best said. "They mature very quickly."
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